Gall’s Law: Why Complex Systems Must Start Simple

 Dr. Abdulrahman Aljamouss, PhD.

In 1975, John Gall, an American systems theorist, formulated what is now known as Gall’s Law:

“A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.”

This principle has become a cornerstone in systems thinking, strategy, and project management, reminding leaders that complexity must grow from simplicity—not be designed from scratch.

Core Idea of Gall’s Law

Complex systems—whether organizations, technologies, or processes—cannot be successfully built all at once. If designed as complex from the beginning, they almost always fail. Instead, systems succeed when they start small, function effectively, and then scale organically.

Benefits of Applying Gall’s Law

• Reduced Risk: Testing simple prototypes before scaling prevents large-scale failures.
• Sustainable Growth: Simple systems allow gradual adaptation and improvement.
• Organizational Agility: Encourages incremental progress over rigid, top-down complexity.
• Innovation Enablement: Creates room for experimentation without overwhelming resources.

Applications in Practice

• Business Strategy: Start with a pilot project before rolling out a full transformation program.
• Healthcare Systems: Build small clinics or digital platforms, refine them, and then expand nationally.
• Technology Development: Launch minimal viable products (MVPs) before scaling to full applications.

Example

 Amazon began as a simple online bookstore. Its success allowed gradual scaling into logistics, cloud computing, and global e-commerce. If it had launched as a full-scale mega-platform from the start, failure would have been far more likely.

Gall’s Law is a timeless reminder: simplicity is the foundation of sustainable complexity. Leaders should resist the temptation to build massive systems from day one. Instead, they must nurture small, functional systems that evolve into robust, complex structures over time.