In many PHP projects, CQRS is applied systematically. Every operation goes through a Command or Query Bus, with handlers, middleware, and event dispatching. For a homepage that displays three statistics, that is pointless boilerplate.
CQRS is not the problem. Its systematic application is.
It is a common reflex: you start a project and rush into technical choices. PostgreSQL or MySQL? Docker or local database? Schemas, migrations, connections... Meanwhile, the real value of the project, the business logic, waits patiently for its turn.
It happens often with frameworks: you follow the code, everything is fine, then suddenly... vendor/. No more visibility, you have to guess what happens inside, and it can be frustrating when you are learning.
Not the documentation. The code. The one that actually runs in your project.
If you use a "classic" framework, that code is hidden somewhere in vendor/. Abstract, distant, untouchable. When a new version ships with a breaking change, you deal with it. When a behavior does not suit you, you work around it. When you want to understand what is really going on, good luck.