Every new service creates another place where work can wait.

With N nodes, the possible undirected relationship count is N(N-1)/2. Six nodes can carry fifteen possible edges. The useful question is not how many boxes sit on the diagram, it is which edges stop independent change, force cross-team coordination, or hold a release in a queue.

We turned the Dependency Density doctrine into a practical operating method: map the graph, separate synchronous and cross-team edges, measure change blast, then bind those relationships to blocked delivery time. Density is the first signal, not the verdict.

AI can raise node count fast. If contracts, state ownership, traces, and release independence do not rise with it, the system gets more output and more waiting at the same time.

For distributed LATAM teams, the math stays the same. The operating cost of an invisible edge gets worse when ownership sits across companies, calendars, and tools.

https://teamstation.dev/research/articles/dependency-density-measure-hidden-waiting