If the interfaces are defined poorly, it can result in what you are describing. But I've seen systems do this well and the result is something far less complex

If the interfaces are defined poorly, it can result in what you are describing. But I've seen systems do this well and the result is something far less complex. I agree with the author's view that good interfaces require iteration. So expect that several irrational will have incorrectly drawn boundaries and poorly defined interfaces. This kind of design takes time, but if you expect the system but if you expect that it will need to evolve over the years, it pays for itself.