Definition
Essential Complexity is the inherent difficulty that exists in the problem domain itself—the complexity that cannot be removed because it is intrinsic to what users actually need the software to do.
“Essential complexity comes from the problem to be solved, and nothing can remove it.”
Core Characteristics:
- Inherent to the problem domain being solved
- Cannot be removed—if users want 30 features, those 30 things are essential
- Examples: business rules, domain concepts, required functionality
- Determines the fundamental difficulty of the problem
What makes a system essentially complex
- Complexity: Software entities are more complex for their size than perhaps any other human construct—no two parts are alike
Quote from Mark Richards: “Architecture is the stuff you can’t Google”—because every architecture is a unique combination of context, constraints, and requirements that no generic solution can address.
Modern Context: AI can express complex systems in code, but cannot resolve the underlying conceptual complexity.
- Conformity: Software must conform to arbitrary human institutions and systems, many of which cannot be simplified.
Modern Context: Low-code platforms impose conformity to their frameworks, creating vendor lock-in.
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Changeability: Software is constantly subject to pressures for change in ways that physical artifacts are not
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Invisibility: Software is invisible and unvisualizable—its structure doesn’t lend itself to geometric representation
Related Concepts:
- Accidental Complexity
- Are AI & Low-Code Silver Bullets?
- No Silver Bullet - Frederick P. Brooks, Jr - 1986
- Algorithmic Optimization
Source: No Silver Bullet - Frederick P. Brooks, Jr
Note
This content was drafted with assistance from AI tools for research, organization, and initial content generation. All final content has been reviewed, fact-checked, and edited by the author to ensure accuracy and alignment with the author’s intentions and perspective.