Engineers in other disciplines often rely on fundamental principles, such as simplifying and eliminating unnecessary parts, to ensure the success of their projects. These principles are equally vital in software engineering. In this session, you'll learn how to apply these timeless principles to identify and avoid the most common pitfalls in software development, helping you maintain a balance between complexity and simplicity in your projects. Journey with us as we delve into the most common mistakes that pave the path to software over-engineering, such as gold plating, superfluous features, and premature optimization, among other popular complications. Your takeaways will be some practical strategies that will help you identify over-engineering when it happens, and hold the line against it. In short, you'll gain the tools needed to navigate software architecture decisions with confidence and skill.