In complex systems, good intentions are not enough. Interventions that appear beneficial in isolation can produce unintended consequences when they interact with larger structures. This chapter borrows the medical maxim — first, do no harm — and applies it to economic and institutional design.

The argument is deceptively simple: before adding new programs, subsidies, or regulations, we should first identify where existing systems are already producing avoidable friction, distortion, or waste. Many of today’s persistent problems may not require entirely new machinery so much as the careful removal of legacy constraints that no longer serve their original purpose.

This approach demands humility. Complex systems rarely yield to sweeping fixes, but they often respond well to thoughtful simplification. By focusing first on reducing systemic harm, rather than immediately pursuing maximal intervention, policymakers and designers may find surprising leverage in places long taken for granted.