It's not about design per se (the title also isn't a metaphor). It's more about how to think about product development. A cupcake has less risk than making a wedding cake for example. It's easier and faster to make. When the recipe is right, you can scale up.
The nugget from this article that's really important is about Gall's Law:
A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work. You have to start over with a working simple system.
I assume you're talking about this article:
https://blog.intercom.io/start-with-a-cupcake/
It's not about design per se (the title also isn't a metaphor). It's more about how to think about product development. A cupcake has less risk than making a wedding cake for example. It's easier and faster to make. When the recipe is right, you can scale up.
The nugget from this article that's really important is about Gall's Law: