System integration Memes

Ah, the classic "elevator to stairs" integration. This is what happens when management says "make the legacy system work with our shiny new architecture" without providing any budget. Twenty years in this industry and I've seen this exact scenario play out with every enterprise "digital transformation" project. You think you're getting a smooth ride to the cloud, but open those doors and surprise! It's just the same old COBOL code with a REST API slapped on top. The best part? Some architect got promoted for this "innovative solution."