Ok, I was under the impression that you always balance veneered.
I cut some thick veneer that I glued to a thin piece of core wood, trying to make my own plywood "just 'cause"

The panel warped significantly, but formed a perfect arc which will make for a great treasure chest style box someday.

In the end, you can do everything by the "book" and the wood will still do what ever it wants. Me thinks most metal workers and machinists originally were woodworkers and switched over from wood because of this 😀