[joncp]

> The problem with this is that the stakeholder might not understand what simple means. It happens here all the time.

"Do the simplest thing" means don't overengineer, not necessarily that the feature won't be complex. You only code up what helps fulfill that particular story's definition of "done."

As for complex features. when my stakeholder asks for some big complex change it's almost always decomposable into much simpler stories. Maybe those have to be hidden behind feature flags until the whole epic is done, but they're shippable individually. Doing that decomposition up front helps demonstrate the complexity to the stakeholder and takes some pressure off of me. It also makes them feel secure because they have more granular insight into progress; that they're not sending me off on some Lewis & Clark expedition.