In general, integrated systems are more powerful than non-integrated systems. But integration power comes with a trade-off: complexity. Some complexity is good (the kind which creates adaptability). Most complexity makes it difficult to adapt and change to match different environments.
This is like the wind resistance a bicyclist encounters. Going 5 mph faster on a bike on level ground requires 2x the effort.
| MPH | Effort |
| 5 | 1x |
| 10 | 2x |
| 15 | 4x |
| 20 | 8x |
| 25 | 16x |
| 30 | 32x |
| 35 | 64x |
| 40 | 128x |
It takes 128 times the effort to travel at 40 mph than at 5 mph. (The reality is more nuanced, but you can see why world-class cyclists pay so much attention to wind-resistance.)
I suggest leaders pay close attention to the complexity creep. Nobody intentionally says, “I want our group to work 64x or 128x harder to go incrementally faster.” But the sum of our good intentions and sincere efforts often takes us there without conscious direction.
