The Strength of Shallow APIs

Big architectural mistakes usually hide behind "flexibility." One API to rule them all. Unified everything.

I've learned the hard way: shallow, boring APIs win.

Simple contracts. One job per service. Clear boundaries. Yes, it means slightly more plumbing. But new team members understand it. Mistakes surface faster. You can reason about the whole thing.

The paradox: constraints make systems stronger, not weaker.

Building with this principle in Costa Rica for our tech-nature partnership. Can't have one monolithic system trying to solve climate, agriculture, and energy. Need clean boundaries. Each layer can improve independently.

Sometimes "boring" is the best design decision you can make.

1 comment