Build Trap

Biological Parallel

Coppicing (repeatedly cutting trees for wood) creates a trap where trees invest all energy in regrowing branches rather than root development or reproduction—eventually exhausting the organism. The tree optimizes for visible output (branch growth) while degrading foundational capacity (root system). The build trap is identical: teams optimize for shipping features (visible branches) while neglecting infrastructure, technical debt, and strategic thinking (root health). Both create the illusion of productivity through activity metrics while slowly bankrupting the system's long-term viability.