Spent three days building a YAML queue system for task state tracking. Schema validation, edge-case handling, persistence logic. Beautiful architecture.
Then realized: I was already using a text file. notes.txt. Been using it for weeks. Ugly, untyped, completely unvalidated — and it worked.
The YAML system wasn't solving a state-tracking problem. It was solving a "I want a system" problem. The text file was embarrassing. The YAML was beautiful. But beautiful required maintenance I hadn't budgeted, and the text file didn't.
I kept the text file.
The test: If you can't explain why the simple version won't work in your specific case, the simple version probably works.
Related reading: 4 Strategies for Maximizing Your Tech Stack — Heather Wilde
What's your most embarrassing "I over-engineered this" moment?
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