You're not saying that the new idea wouldn't be right, but that there could be complexities the outsider would miss. I don't think anyone would disagree. But va

You're not saying that the new idea wouldn't be right, but that there could be complexities the outsider would miss. I don't think anyone would disagree. But variables vs rewritten names (for example) would still be the right idea, it's just that the body of existing work hampers agile changes. The way to deal with this is write the idea down with the blockers and benefits and work to enable it slowly. For instance, forgetting one of the three signatures needed would similarly doom you, so it's not all risk, it's also reward. Almost any consultant deals with this constantly, in any industry.