What I've found works best is to convey how the added complexity will affect non-engineers

The best strategy is to frame your argument from the perspective of the customer: > This will allow for us to deploy the feature in only X days supporting Y use case with Client W who has been complaining about this shit for Q months now. Arguments like: > We should do Z because it would provide future extensibility. > Z could eventually enable some novel platform capabilities. > Z is easier to unit test. Are much less likely to succeed in the business contexts that I have experienced so far.

My experience with avoiders and reducers and recyclers is that they want to avoid _my_ idea and do _their_ idea instead.

> you will earn some trust Building trust is yet another quality of a good senior. By that I don't mean to be buddy with the CEO but earning trust from everyone by making good decisions, arguments and delivering as promised. Even giving a jr a warning and let him fall flat is a good trust building exercise.

> You want to bake me a whole birthday cake? Just put a candle on my sandwich. I think these people also need to learn that, in the eyes of the customer, a sandwich with a candle is in no way comparable to a birthday cake.