Talking is faster than typing.
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It started to feel cobbled together.
I built a workflow that reads every team call and client call I'm on and turns the transcripts into a database I can search.
It worked fine when it was just me on my own machine.
Then I put it online so other people on the team could use it. That meant adding guardrails so sensitive conversations don't show up in somebody's search results.
So I added a rule. Then another one. Then a check on the rules.
Every single change made sense while I was making it.
Then I looked at the whole thing and couldn't tell you how it worked anymore.
At this point it's easy to keep building. More functionality, more tests.
With AI that's an easy hole to fall into. Scope creep is close to free now. You say "also add this," and thirty seconds later, your latest idea is in as a feature. But this can lead to a bloated, complex system that you don't fully understand and can't explain.
A simple question can get you back on track.
1- Catch the signal early
You can't explain what the thing does in one sentence anymore, or you're nervous to touch it because you don't know what breaks. Or something just feels off. That's a good time to take a step back.
2- Stop adding.
Don't try to fix it first. The fixing is what got you here.
3- Ask this question
"What's the simplest version of this setup that still gets me the result I want, without the complexity we're running into? Don't make any changes yet. Just think it through and give me your ideas."
That last part matters. Leave it off and Claude might jump right into more fixes.
4- Compare and pick on purpose
You get an honest read on your own build from something that isn't attached to the hours you sank into it. Then decide. Simplify it, or keep what you have and know why you kept it.
I ran this on my transcript database. I got a few real options for fixing the root problem, plus four other things to simplify. Those cut what it costs to run and make it a better database to search.
You're not required to tear it down every time. But you should know what the simple version looks like before you spend another hour reinforcing the complicated one.
What have you built that got away from you? Hit reply and tell me. I read every one.
Nathan
