Growth in the modern age is rarely linear. The real risk in creating an "inefficient" solution is when you've done so at the cost of extensive technical debt not just mere inefficiencies, and this technical debt blocks your ability not only to switch to an efficient solution but to stretch your inefficient solution just enough to keep your business running during periods of growth. Failing to take advantage of an order of magnitude (or more) growth opportunity can leave your company at a competitive disadvantage or even kill it outright.<p>So build an inefficient system if you think it's a better solution in the short-term. But be careful that you know the difference between mere inefficiency and a horrible, grotty, dailywtf level hack-job that may seriously limit your company's future.