Simple over easy for operations
While “easy” tools often promise quick starts by mimicking familiar backend languages, they frequently buckle under the non-linear complexity of real-world infrastructure operations. This article explores why building a custom, data-driven workflow engine in Clojure—leveraging immutability, qualified keywords, and a robust REPL—outperforms “easy” alternatives for orchestrating tools like Terraform and Ansible. By prioritizing a simple architectural foundation over the easy path of standard CI/CD scripts, we gain the ability to handle complex branching, resolve state isolation through nested options, and achieve instantaneous debugging that “duct-tape” solutions simply cannot provide.