Definition:
Gall’s Law states that:
“A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work. You have to start over with a working simple system.”
In simple terms: 🌱 → 🌳 Start small and grow gradually, rather than building something complex from the beginning.
Example:
- Started: Simple college directory for Harvard students
- Evolved: Global social media platform with billions of users
- Key: Each expansion built upon the previous working version
🛒 Amazon
- Started: Basic online bookstore
- Evolved: Massive e-commerce empire + cloud services + AI
- Key: Added one feature/category at a time
💻 Unix Operating System
- Started: Simple, minimal OS with basic functions
- Evolved: Foundation for Linux, macOS, and countless systems
- Key: Small, working components that could be combined