Network engineers are notorious for doing whatever it takes to keep their customers and users happy. No reference architecture is safe from modification. However, these unique designs, commonly referred to as "snowflakes", create challenges when unforeseen consequences occur. In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Dakota Snow, Steve Puluka, and Bob McCouch as they discuss the challenges behind snowflake design and operations. They talk about the best way to build better systems and prevent the challenges caused by uniqueness.