Why Nothing Ever Gets Simpler

Organizations can only add complexity, never subtract it.

Every new process gets layered on top. Every "improvement" becomes permanent baggage.

Nobody's job description says "remove things", only "add solutions".

This is the hidden law of institutional physics.

Complexity is a one-way ratchet.

Why? Because subtraction requires someone to say "this thing we built was wrong." Addition just requires saying "this thing will help."

One path threatens egos.

The other path promises progress.

Guess which one wins?

This is why successful companies eventually become bureaucratic nightmares. Not because they failed, because they succeeded too many times.

Each success added another layer.

Each solution created new problems requiring new solutions.

The ratchet only moves one direction: more.