In this article we present our rule of thumb for the sizing of solutions based on what an organisation can handle. Our primary goal is to make you aware of cognitive load theory and sociological considerations on organisational structure. Be aware that these are somewhat fuzzy theories, which are still debated and do not provide us with definitive answers. We are still convinced that taking these ideas into consideration helps in making organisations more effective. With our rule of thumb we hope to provide organisations a tool for conversation around how to effectively organize flows of work, without overloading and burning down teams.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, complex solutions form an all-time high demand on the cognitive capacity of your team. That is why, in this article, we will introduce a rule of thumb for sizing solutions based on what your organization can handle. We will give a short introduction on cognitive load theory and organizational constructs. We believe that architects must consider these while decomposing their solutions into autonomous parts of a system that continuously and incrementally delivers value to the organization.