> Even the simplest business problem may take a year to solve, and constantly break due to the astounding number of edge cases and scale.
Is this really because the single problem is inherently difficult, or because you're trying to solve more than one problem (scope creep) due a fear of losing revenue? I think a lot of complexity stems from trying to group disparate problems as if they can have a single solution. If you're willing to live with a smaller customer base, then simple solutions are everywhere.
If you want simple solutions and a large customer base, that probably requires R&D.
Much of this begins with the customers. If they were better at identifying their real needs and specify the most simple possible tools they need, we would not have to deliver bizarrely complex does-everything bloated monster solutions and they could have much more stable, and cheaper, software.
Of course marketing and sales working hard to convince customers that they need more of everything, all the time, doesn't help.
Is this really because the single problem is inherently difficult, or because you're trying to solve more than one problem (scope creep) due a fear of losing revenue? I think a lot of complexity stems from trying to group disparate problems as if they can have a single solution. If you're willing to live with a smaller customer base, then simple solutions are everywhere.
If you want simple solutions and a large customer base, that probably requires R&D.