The article discusses the general advantages of building self-serve access to internal systems, suggesting that when tasks become overly complex, self-serve UIs may not be appropriate. Initially, systems can solve specific problems well, but as they expand to handle more variations, the need for bespoke engineering decreases. Ultimately, if configurations become manageable, self-serve options seem feasible; however, complex tasks often require deeper engagement than a simple UI can provide. The decision to create such an interface should consider the complexity of the underlying systems.
When systems are more complex, it doesn't make as much sense to have a self-serve layer in front of them.
The idea of making a task easier by making it self-serve shouldn't be applied when the unavoidable complexity and nuance of the task exceeds what a UI can reasonably handle.
As systems grow and variations are handled, unique engineering work fades, and configuration takes over, raising the question of whether engineering is even necessary.
Building a self-serve UI is often a good idea, especially when configuration is simpler, but can be problematic with more complex systems.
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