Every project starts with a client saying, "It’s just a small tweak." That phrase is the siren song of doom. In my experience, a "small tweak" is code for "rewrite the database, redesign the UI, and sacrifice a rubber duck to the god of deployment." You’ll nod along, smiling, while your brain screams: "This is not a tweak! This is like asking for a new spice rack and getting a full kitchen renovation!"
Here’s a shocking fact: a 2017 study found that 70% of software projects face scope creep—that’s when features multiply faster than gremlins after midnight. And you, the team member, are the one who has to explain to your manager why the "simple button" now requires a machine learning algorithm.
