# Broken Systems Don't Need More Developers

DevFeed: [Broken Systems Don't Need More Developers](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/broken-systems-don-t-need-more-developers-26194.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://journal.optivem.com/p/you-cant-fix-a-broken-system-by-adding-more-developers>)

Author: Valentina Jemuović

Published: 2026-07-14T09:12:34Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Optivem Journal](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/optivem-journal.md>)

Topics: [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systems.md>), [legacy](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/legacy.md>), [Back end](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/backend.md>), [Test-driven development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/tdd.md>)

Tags: [architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/architecture.md>), [code-reviews](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code-reviews.md>), [developers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developers.md>), [engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/engineering.md>), [legacy](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/legacy.md>), [legacy-code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/legacy-code.md>), [meetings](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/meetings.md>), [merge](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/merge.md>), [onboarding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/onboarding.md>)

## AI overview

Adding developers to a tightly coupled legacy system may slow progress because onboarding, interruptions, meetings, code reviews, and merge conflicts increase. The article argues that architecture, rather than team size, is the main bottleneck.

## Source excerpt

If four developers aren't delivering fast enough, why not make it eight?