Incremental fixes feel responsible. They are easy to justify. They create the sense that progress is happening. Often, they just extend the problem.
Incremental Change Preserves the Original Design
Small adjustments assume the core structure works.
They smooth edges. They patch gaps. They optimize around constraints that were never questioned.
When the underlying design is flawed, incremental fixes increase complexity without improving outcomes. The system becomes harder to manage while remaining inefficient.
Why Incremental Fixes Are So Appealing
They avoid disruption.
No major decisions
No temporary instability
No need to admit something fundamental is off
Incremental fixes let people stay functional while postponing deeper work. They reduce discomfort now, at the cost of flexibility later.
The system survives, but it never improves.
Complexity Accumulates Quietly
Each small fix adds another layer.
More rules. More exceptions. More mental load.
Over time, the system requires more attention to produce the same result. Friction increases, even though effort has gone up.
What looks like progress on paper often feels heavier in practice.
A Practical Reframe
If fixes keep stacking without relief, stop adjusting.
Ask what the system was designed to do
Ask whether it still serves that purpose
Ask what would need to change if you started from scratch
Sometimes the cleanest move is not another improvement, but a reset.
When effort increases but results stay flat, the issue is not execution. It is design.
Incremental fixes feel safe. Structural change creates relief.
