If it’s a larger software project and nobody on the team knows what a change would do, then it would be fair to say the software is overly complex and making forward progress is like wading through a swamp. Software projects, especially larger software projects absolutely must have code that is understandable. When designing software applications, a key component to the architecture is managing complexity to a workable level.

Managing complexity is the most important technical topic in software development. In my view, it’s so important that Software’s Primary Technical Imperative has to be managing complexity.

- Steve McConnell in Code Complete

Unless its a small project, no software developer can contain the design, constraints, and all the technical details in their head at the same time. Software must be made modular so that a developer can work on one section of code without worrying about the rest of the project.

How do you deal with complexity?

1. Break up the problem into sub-problems and sub-tasks so you don’t have to solve everything at the same time.
2. Contain the complexity to one part of the code.
3. Before you solve the complex issue take a step back and make sure you have to solve it that way. There might be a vastly simpler problem that you can solve that will still fulfill your requirements.

Tackle software complexity before it defeats your software project.