“If it ain’t broke, don’t optimize it.” This twist on the classic proverb “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” packs a message familiar to anyone wary of unnecessary change. In this high-energy exploration, we’ll uncover where this saying comes from, how it’s used (and misused) in various fields, and what lessons it offers. Buckle up for a journey through history, business anecdotes, tech wisdom, and a few creative spin-offs of the phrase – complete with expert insights and real-world examples!
Origin of the Saying and Its Evolution
Roots in American Wisdom: The original form, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” emerged as a homespun American proverb meaning leave well enough alone . It’s widely attributed to Thomas Bertram “Bert” Lance, a U.S. government official under President Jimmy Carter. In 1977, Lance famously told the Nation’s Business magazine, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” He was lamenting government’s habit of “fixing things that aren’t broken and not fixing things that are broken” . Lance’s quip resonated, entering the popular lexicon virtually overnight. (In fact, it was already heard in the Southern USA beforehand – a Georgia newspaper cited an “old farmer” using the phrase in 1976 .) The folksy incorrect grammar (“ain’t broke” instead of “isn’t broken”) hints at its Southern colloquial origins , but its common-sense appeal made it a nationwide cliché by the late 20th century.
From “Fix” to “Optimize”: As industries evolved, so did the proverb. The version “If it ain’t broke, don’t optimize it” gained currency especially in tech and engineering circles. While not tied to a single famous utterance, this variant riffs on the same principle: don’t pour effort into improving something that’s already working to acceptable standards. In software development, this aligns with the legendary advice of computer scientist Donald Knuth that “premature optimization is the root of all evil” . In other words, spending time micro-tuning code or systems before it’s needed can be wasteful or even harmful. The “don’t optimize” spin likely grew informally as programmers jokingly applied the old saying to their penchant for tweaking code. It serves as a humorous reminder that not every performance improvement or new feature is worth the risk if the current setup isn’t actually broken. Like the original, the optimize-version warns against tinkering for tinkering’s sake.
The Core Meaning: Whether we say “don’t fix it” or “don’t optimize it,” the heart of the proverb remains: beware of unnecessary changes. The wisdom dates back to humanity’s earliest attempts at improvement – as one commentator quipped, prehistoric toolmakers probably learned the hard way that adding that one extra tweak could ruin a perfectly good axe . The phrase encapsulates a conservative mindset: if a process, product, or system is doing its job well, drastic changes or refinements might upset the balance and create new problems without significant benefit. This sentiment has echoed through decades, from folk wisdom to boardrooms and code repositories.
Usage in Business, Tech, and Operations Culture
Business & Management: In corporate environments, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is often invoked as a call for stability and risk-aversion. Managers might use it to justify sticking with a successful product formula or longstanding process. For example, a company with a best-selling product might resist making updates, fearing that changes could alienate customers or erode quality. The saying becomes a shield against unnecessary spending and the unpredictable consequences of change. It’s essentially another way of saying “let’s not rock the boat”. This mentality can be prudent in certain situations – consistency can maintain quality and brand trust – but as we’ll see later, it can also tip into complacency.
Tech & Software Development: In the tech world, the adage has special relevance. Engineers and programmers use it to caution against unwarranted code changes or premature optimization. If software is running smoothly and meeting users’ needs, endlessly refactoring it or optimizing tiny inefficiencies might introduce bugs or waste developer time. As one Reddit user humorously summarized the mindset: “I’m in the school of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t optimize it.’” . There’s even a tongue-in-cheek saying that “normal people believe if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but engineers believe if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet.” This quip, often attributed to cartoonist Scott Adams , highlights the divide: average folks are content with a working thing, whereas engineers are tempted to keep tweaking and adding!
In software project management, resisting the urge to optimize too early is considered best practice – focus on building a correct, working solution before you fine-tune. Knuth’s maxim about premature optimization is taught to young developers to prevent “gold-plating” a codebase when that effort could be spent on more essential tasks. There’s also a related IT proverb: “Never change a running system.” Systems administrators and DevOps engineers often live by this, scheduling updates and changes carefully. An anecdote from a Red Hat engineer illustrates this well: as a junior sysadmin in 1980, he decided to meticulously clean dust from a mainframe’s circuit boards. The machine was working fine, but in his zeal to optimize its cleanliness he accidentally rendered it unbootable for days. After a small army of technicians finally repaired the damage, one pointed at the sheepish admin and said, “From now on, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” – a lesson he swore he’d never forget . In mission-critical tech operations, unnecessary fiddling can literally bring systems down, so the proverb often serves as a stern reminder.
Operations & Maintenance: The saying is equally at home on factory floors and maintenance workshops. Mechanics, electricians, pilots – anyone responsible for keeping equipment running safely – know not to tamper with a functioning system without good reason. The logic is straightforward: every change introduces a chance of failure. Seasoned aircraft technicians, for instance, might delay a non-critical tweak on an airplane engine if it’s performing within norms, adhering to “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” to avoid inadvertently grounding the plane. Similarly, doctors in medicine have their own version – sometimes expressed in the principle of “therapeutic inertia”: if a patient is stable on a treatment with no issues, many clinicians will be reluctant to change the regimen. As one medical article noted, the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” has long guided doctors to not intervene without need . Across industries, this proverb often underpins cautious, conservative decision-making aimed at preserving reliability.
The Workplace Attitude: Culturally, invoking this phrase can signal a preference for the status quo. It’s not always about literal “fixing” of a broken object – often it’s a way of saying, “Our current method works; let’s stick with it.” Employees might use it to push back against new policies or software (“Why switch systems now? If it ain’t broke…”). Corporate cultures that value predictability and efficiency might lean on it to avoid the costs and learning curves of constant change. In fast-changing fields, however, this attitude can become a friction point between innovators and old-guard traditionalists. We’ll explore that conflict further in the examples and critiques below.
When “Don’t Optimize” Is Smart – Success Stories
Sometimes, restraint is exactly what the situation calls for. Following “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix/optimize it” can save time, money, and even prevent disaster. Let’s look at a few scenarios where this conservative principle proved wise:
- Preserving a Classic (Coca-Cola’s Lesson): One of the most famous business cases of “don’t fix what isn’t broken” comes from Coca-Cola in 1985. The company attempted to reformulate its flagship soda, introducing “New Coke” in hopes of improving taste and beating a competitor. The result was a consumer backlash of epic proportions – drinkers were furious that their beloved classic Coke had been tampered with . Within just 79 days, Coca-Cola was forced to bring back the original formula as “Coke Classic.” The fiasco taught an enduring lesson: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” As one history writer put it, this time-tested adage was the clear lesson of Coca-Cola’s disaster with New Coke . In hindsight, Coca-Cola realized nothing was actually wrong with their product – it wasn’t “broke” at all – and tinkering with it only damaged their brand. Sticking with the classic formula had been the better move all along.
- “Hands Off” to Avoid Harm: The tech anecdote we mentioned earlier – the zealous mainframe cleaning – is a perfect example of when not touching a working system is the best policy. The system was running fine; the attempt to “optimize” its cleanliness broke it. The field technician’s advice “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was earned wisdom . Countless engineers have learned similarly that unnecessary optimizations can introduce new bugs or downtime. For instance, imagine a stable software application in production: pushing a minor code change to optimize speed by 0.5% might seem nice, but if it risks crashing the app for users, it’s not worth it. A Medium article on software idioms describes a case where a developer optimized a database call from ~2 seconds to 0.5 seconds – technically a win, but so minor in the user experience that it didn’t justify the days of debugging when the optimization caused unforeseen issues . In such cases, teams often conclude the minor gain wasn’t worth the trouble – the original “unoptimized” version wasn’t truly broken.
- Stability in Critical Systems: In industries like aviation, aerospace, and infrastructure, following “don’t fix it if it works” can be a lifesaver. Space agencies often use proven, older technologies in spacecraft not because they can’t invent something new, but because the old tech has decades of reliable performance. The logic: a cutting-edge new system might fail unexpectedly, whereas a simpler legacy system “ain’t broke” and thus is less risky. There’s a saying in NASA engineering circles that redundancy and reliability trump novelty. For example, the International Space Station relies on some computer systems and software from the 1990s that still do the job – upgrades are only made when absolutely necessary, because a glitch in orbit could be catastrophic. Here, abiding by “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” protects lives and huge investments by avoiding needless experimentation on a working formula.
- Consistent Customer Experience: Businesses sometimes maintain an old product or interface because customers love it, and changing it could do more harm than good. Think of a popular fast-food item or a classic car model. One could argue, for instance, that the Jeep Wrangler’s design philosophy has been “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” – its iconic look and basic functionality remained recognizable for decades, which only strengthened the brand’s identity and loyal following. By not over-optimizing or radically redesigning the Wrangler, Jeep kept its core fans happy and its sales strong. In such a case, restraint was a competitive advantage.
In summary, there are absolutely times when sticking with the status quo pays off. Applying this principle can prevent self-inflicted wounds. It reminds us not to tamper with success or introduce risks for negligible rewards. As the Coca-Cola New Coke fiasco proved, sometimes messing with a good thing is the worst mistake of all . And as many an engineer or mechanic will attest, sometimes the best way to improve a system is to leave it alone!
When “Leave It Alone” Backfires – Missed Opportunities
On the flip side, clinging too tightly to “If it ain’t broke…” can lead to stagnation or even doom. History is littered with companies and individuals who refused to adapt or improve because things seemed fine – until the world changed around them. Here are some cautionary tales and scenarios where never fixing what isn’t broken became a liability:
- Blockbuster vs. Netflix: For years, Blockbuster Video dominated the movie rental industry with thousands of stores. By the late 1990s, their model was hugely profitable – why change? When upstart Netflix began mailing DVDs and later streaming movies online, Blockbuster’s leadership famously hesitated to overhaul their business. One internal mindset was essentially, “Our store rental system isn’t broken, so why fix it?” That complacency proved fatal. By the time Blockbuster realized the need to innovate, Netflix had already lured away their customers with a new model. As one venture capitalist noted, disruption in business “requires new strategies, new approaches, and new behaviors”, but Blockbuster’s ingrained attachment to the old success left it unprepared . The proverb “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” encapsulated their comfort with the status quo – and it ultimately made them irrelevant . The “broke” moment eventually came, but by then it was too late. Blockbuster’s fate is now a classic example of how refusing to fix (or reinvent) a once-working model can lead to obsolescence.
- Tech Giants That Stumbled: History has other examples of market leaders who fell behind by over-valuing what used to work. Consider Kodak – the king of film photography. Kodak actually invented the digital camera in the 1970s, but shelved the tech for fear of cannibalizing its film business . From Kodak’s point of view, their film business “wasn’t broken” – profits were great – so they didn’t aggressively fix or reinvent themselves for the digital age. We know how that story ended: other companies ran with digital cameras, and Kodak’s film revenues collapsed in the 2000s. It’s a cautionary tale that sometimes what’s “not broken” is precisely what needs transformation. As innovation theorist Clay Christensen would say, the very success of an incumbent can blind it to disruptive changes.
- Technical Debt & Decay: In software and IT, sticking with “it works, so don’t change it” can lead to outdated systems and technical debt. An example from the 1970s: Digital Equipment Corporation’s VAX/VMS was a hugely successful computer operating system. DEC promised that VMS would remain backward-compatible forever – essentially never “breaking” old features. They did this so well that even 20 years later, new VMS machines could run code from the 1970s unchanged . Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, this commitment also meant VMS evolved very slowly. Competitors with more modern, adaptable systems sprinted ahead in performance and capabilities. DEC, once a titan, lost its edge and faded away. One engineer remarked that DEC’s beloved system remained stable and unbroken, “but that so-called stability can be an illusion. Sooner or later, it will either fail and cause a disaster, or maintaining it will hamper progress so much that the organization faces obsolescence.” In DEC’s case, refusing to “break” compatibility contributed to them missing the window to innovate, and the company became a footnote in tech history .
- Continuous Improvement vs. Complacency: Business experts warn that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” can easily slide into a mindset of complacency. Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell put it bluntly: “‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It’s an excuse for inaction.” In other words, hiding behind this saying can be a way for leaders or teams to avoid change because change is hard or scary. It’s a convenient rationale to do nothing – but in a fast-moving world, doing nothing is often the riskiest move of all. Management guru Tom Peters (author of In Search of Excellence) railed against this mentality in the 1980s, arguing that thriving in chaos requires constant improvement and willingness to change even what seems to be working. Companies that insist on “leaving well enough alone” may enjoy short-term comfort, but they can fall into a rut while more agile competitors zoom ahead .
- Real-World Close Calls: Sometimes, not fixing something that appears fine leads to dramatic failure. A personal example from an IT professional: He had a set of hard drives running smoothly for a long time, and firmware updates were available to fix a known bug – but he ignored them since the drives “weren’t broken.” Tragically, one holiday evening multiple drives failed in cascade, crashing all his servers. In his words: “I had run them for a long time, they weren’t broken, and so I didn’t fix them. I took on an insane amount of foolish risk and it almost shut me down.” The lesson was searing: just because no failure has occurred yet doesn’t mean all is well. Proactively addressing potential issues (fixing it before it breaks) could have saved him a week of headaches. Engineers and safety experts often emphasize this point – that “not broken” can be a temporary illusion. Professor Henry Petroski, an expert on design failures, explained that just because something isn’t broken now doesn’t mean it won’t break eventually. A designer’s responsibility is to anticipate when it will fail and fix it before that happens . When organizations ignore that, they court disaster.
In summary, an unyielding “if it ain’t broke” approach can be downright dangerous in the long run. Markets change, technology advances, small cracks form under the surface – and those who never seek to improve will eventually confront something broken that’s far harder to fix. The proverb may protect you from self-inflicted wounds, but it can also blind you to the slow march of progress (or decay). As one Inc. magazine piece put it, over-reliance on what worked before turns prudence into timidity and consistency into predictability . The organizations that thrive balance the old and the new, practicality and innovation, “without choosing sides between them.”
Critiques of the “Don’t Fix It” Mindset
Given the pitfalls above, many leaders and innovators openly criticize the “if it ain’t broke” philosophy as too conservative. Here are some compelling arguments from the perspective of innovation, entrepreneurship, and continuous improvement:
- Innovation Demands Change: If humanity always followed “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” we’d likely still be riding horses and using candlelight. Progress often comes from the belief that good can be made better. Entrepreneurial minds almost can’t stand leaving things alone – their passion is to reinvent and improve. Colin Powell’s quote calling the phrase a complacency slogan is echoed by many business leaders who see it as an excuse to avoid progress. In the Silicon Valley ethos, standing still is falling behind. One Silicon Valley project manager wrote that the phrase is sometimes thrown around to “sweep things under the rug” or deny the reality that today’s success might not work tomorrow . She argues that innovation doesn’t come from standing still and accepting the status quo . Indeed, major innovations – from the automobile to the smartphone – came about not because the old solutions were utterly broken, but because bold thinkers imagined something even better.
- Continuous Improvement (Kaizen): The Japanese business philosophy of Kaizen (continuous improvement) almost directly contradicts “don’t fix what isn’t broken.” Kaizen-minded companies assume everything can be improved, even if it’s doing fine. One author put it this way: “The philosophy of continuous improvement is forward-thinking, rather than the ‘not broken, don’t fix it’ mentality which maintains and is therefore backward-thinking. If you are not moving forward, you have already begun the backward slide.” In other words, standing pat is really just slow-motion decline. This forward-looking mindset has driven companies like Toyota to constantly refine processes on the factory floor, even when defect rates are low or efficiency is high – because they believe there’s always a way to do better. Over time, those 1% improvements compound into a huge competitive edge . Advocates of this approach argue that a “fix it before it breaks” mentality is key to long-term success. A Boston Consulting Group director was quoted saying, “Fixing things before they break – preemptive transformation – is an absolute necessity” in a fast-changing economy . In their view, waiting until something does break (or a crisis hits) is far riskier than proactively evolving.
- “Slogan of the Scared”: The “don’t fix it” motto has been criticized as reflecting fear – fear of change, fear of failure. Staying in one’s comfort zone feels safe, but as one commenter cleverly noted, “not changing is a form of changing – it’s changing backwards.” If you choose to not innovate, you are making a choice – essentially choosing to fall behind. Psychologically, people resist change due to a sunk-cost fallacy (“we invested so much in the current way, we can’t abandon it”) and a personal attachment to the familiar . But business writers urge leaders to overcome that. Tony Schwartz and Emily Pines wrote in Harvard Business Review that under stress, “we tend to double down on what has worked for us before,” but overusing what used to work eventually “turns into a liability.” Prudence becomes timidity; practicality stifles imagination . Their advice: acknowledge that discomfort with change is natural, but actively push through it with small experiments and openness to new ideas . In short, don’t let “if it ain’t broke…” be an excuse that paralyzes you.
- Preventive Maintenance & Future-Proofing: Engineers like Henry Petroski and many safety professionals argue that we must fix things before they break. Petroski points out that success can hide flaws – a design that “ain’t broke” might have lurking issues that simply haven’t surfaced yet. Relying on past success can lead to designs being gradually under-engineered (as confidence grows, safety margins shrink) until one day a failure occurs . He gave the example of the Titanic: had it not sunk, its design (which we now know had flaws) might have been copied for years until a similar ship met disaster . The takeaway is that continuous improvement and periodic overhauls are necessary to avert future crises. Just because a bridge hasn’t collapsed doesn’t mean you never reinforce it; just because your software works now doesn’t mean it can handle double the users or new security threats. From this angle, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is seen as shortsighted – a mindset that ignores tomorrow’s problems. Instead, responsible managers do regular maintenance, upgrades, and R&D so that they’re not caught off guard. As Petroski succinctly said, “Just because something ain’t broke doesn’t mean it won’t break eventually. The responsibility of designers is to … ‘fix’ it before that happens.”
- Culture of Agility: In an era of rapid change, many experts advocate building a culture that is agile and change-embracing. One Red Hat engineer writes that remaining static actually increases risk over time, as systems grow obsolete and vulnerabilities creep in . He acknowledges that constant upgrades and changes carry risk too, but the solution is to embrace a steady flow of incremental improvements – essentially making change routine and manageable . This approach, sometimes called a continuous innovation pipeline, aims to balance stability and innovation. Rather than clinging to “no change” until forced, these organizations change constantly in small doses, so they’re always evolving without huge disruptive leaps. It’s a rejection of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t touch it” credo in favor of “if it ain’t broke, what can we improve?” .
To sum up the critiques: Standing still is not a winning strategy in the long run. Leaders from military generals to startup founders argue that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” too often serves as an excuse to avoid the pain of change. But growth happens outside the comfort zone. Whether through Kaizen’s tiny daily improvements or through bold disruptive innovation, the consensus of forward-thinkers is clear: keep challenging the status quo, even if it’s working okay. As business author Robert Kriegel famously put it, “When it comes to change, if it ain’t broke, break it!” – meaning don’t wait for crisis to force your hand. In the next section, we’ll look at that phrase and other creative variants that have spun off from the original proverb, underscoring these diverse philosophies.
Variants of the Saying and What They Mean
Over time, this saying has inspired many playful variants and contrarian slogans. Each carries its own nuance. Here are some popular ones you might encounter:
- “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” – The classic proverb itself. This is the baseline: it advises caution and contentment with what works. Meaning: leave well enough alone to avoid unintended consequences . (Also phrased as “Don’t fix what isn’t broken” or “Leave well enough alone.”)
- “If it ain’t broke, don’t optimize it.” – The tech twist. Emphasizes not just avoiding fixes, but specifically avoiding over-optimization of systems that are already good enough. Often used in software development to discourage premature optimization that complicates code for minimal gain . Meaning: don’t waste effort fine-tuning a solution that already meets requirements – you might introduce bugs or complexity for negligible benefit.
- “If it ain’t broke, make it better.” – The continuous improvement motto. This flips the original on its head, urging proactive improvement even of successful things. As one professional wrote, “I’d like to rewrite the saying to: ‘If it ain’t broke, make it better.’” Meaning: never settle – there’s always room to enhance and innovate, even when there’s no obvious problem. This variant embodies the Kaizen mindset of constant progress.
- “If it ain’t broke… break it!” – The disruptive innovator’s rallying cry. Popularized by business authors Robert J. Kriegel and Louis Patler in their book If It Ain’t Broke… Break It! (1992) , this phrase provocatively suggests deliberately challenging the status quo. Meaning: don’t become complacent just because something works; actively shake things up to find even better ways. It encourages a culture of questioning assumptions and not idolizing existing products or processes. In practice, “break it” implies daring to replace your own successful product with a new one before a competitor does – essentially, disrupt yourself or be disrupted. It’s a high-risk, high-reward philosophy that stands in stark contrast to the original proverb.
- “If it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet.” – The engineer’s joke. Attributed to Dilbert creator Scott Adams , this tongue-in-cheek saying pokes fun at engineers’ tendency to add complexity. Meaning: what a non-engineer calls ‘working fine,’ an engineer sees as an opportunity to add more functionality (even unnecessarily)! It’s a witty critique of feature creep – the opposite of “don’t fix it” – suggesting some people can’t resist improving things to the point of over-complicating them.
- “If it ain’t broke, fix it till it is.” – The cynical joke. This variant lampoons the tendency of misguided tinkerers (or bureaucracies) to meddle with things until they actually break. It has circulated in automotive and military circles (even NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip joked, “If it ain’t broke, fix it until it is!”) . Meaning: a satirical warning – if you can’t leave well enough alone, you’ll end up causing the very problem you wanted to avoid. It’s often said with a sigh about overly complex “solutions” making matters worse.
- “Never change a running system.” – The IT maxim. This isn’t a direct variant in wording, but it’s essentially the same idea in the context of computers and networks. Widely used by system administrators, it means don’t make updates or changes to software/hardware that is currently running smoothly, unless you have a very good reason. It emphasizes system uptime and stability over being up-to-date. Meaning: if the server/app is running fine, don’t mess with it – or at least wait until a safe maintenance window.
These variants show how a single concept can be adapted to humor, caution, or motivation. From “fix nothing” to “fix everything,” the spectrum of sayings reflects the eternal tension between stability and innovation. Each variant carries a grain of truth for different scenarios. The key is wisdom in knowing which approach to apply when!
Conclusion: Balance Is Key
In the end, the phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t optimize it” reminds us of an important truth: change for change’s sake can be harmful, but refusal to change can be just as deadly. The wisdom (and folly) of the saying lies in context. Great leaders and innovators learn to strike a balance – preserving what works well, while constantly scanning for what could work even better. As one Red Hat engineer advised, balance is everything in life .
Use the adage as a sense-check: are we fixing this just because we can, and might we make it worse? If so, step back. But also ask: are we avoiding a needed change out of complacency or fear? If so, lean in and innovate. In your career and projects, there will be times to echo the field technician’s stern “Don’t fix it!” – and times to heed the entrepreneur’s bold “Break it and rebuild it stronger!” The true wisdom is knowing when to do which.
So, if it ain’t broke… maybe you don’t need to optimize it – or maybe you do! The next time you hear this saying tossed around, remember the tales of New Coke and Blockbuster, of stable systems saved and opportunities lost. Let it motivate you to think critically about the situation. Sometimes sticking with the tried-and-true will be the right call for stability and quality . Other times, you’ll recall that “not broken” is not a permanent state, and you’ll push for improvement before events force your hand . In a rapidly changing world, the winners are those who can both appreciate the value of what works and embrace the necessity of what could be better.
Keep that balanced perspective – and you’ll know exactly when to leave something alone, and when to roll up your sleeves and make a good thing even greater!
Sources:
- Phrase origin and meaning
- Bert Lance 1977 quotation
- Coca-Cola “New Coke” lesson
- Red Hat engineering anecdotes (fixing vs. not fixing)
- Blockbuster vs. disruption (Inc. Magazine)
- Colin Powell quote on complacency
- Continuous improvement vs. status quo
- Henry Petroski on fixing before breaking
- Scott Adams engineer joke
- Kriegel & Patler’s If It Ain’t Broke… Break It! (1992)