Over-engineering is a common trap for intermediate developers who apply enterprise patterns and abstractions to simple problems. The article argues against premature abstraction, showing real examples of unnecessarily complex code that could be replaced with straightforward solutions. Key principles include: abstract only what changes frequently, wait for three use cases before creating abstractions, avoid interfaces with single implementations, and prioritize readability over architectural sophistication. Simple, boring code that solves actual problems scales better than over-architected solutions designed for hypothetical future requirements.