Gall's Law: Why Complex Systems Must Grow From Simple Ones That Work

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Gall's Law, formulated by John Gall in the 1970s, states that every working complex system evolved from a simpler working system, and any complex system designed from scratch is destined to fail. Software teams often fall into the trap of architecting elaborate distributed systems from day one, resulting in untested component interactions and costly integration failures. The article argues this pattern, observed in hospital management systems decades ago, repeats itself consistently in modern software development. A debate emerges around whether generative AI changes this equation, since AI agents can scaffold entire distributed systems in hours rather than sprints. However, the authors conclude that AI-generated complexity still lacks the real-world validation that only incremental production exposure provides, making Gall's Law equally applicable to human and machine-built systems.

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