The idea
Something can be small at one interface and large inside the system—or technically difficult while almost irrelevant to the user.
Situation
Two people describe the same change as radically different in size or complexity.
Useful when
Estimationscope discussionsproduct vs engineering disagreementdependency analysis
Watch for
A more complicated representation isn't automatically the more relevant one. Ask which representation matters for the decision.
Where this came from
Engineering, Product work