Principle Subtract Before You Add
Apply when sequencing an addition, refactor, or rewrite.
Install
npx skills add michael-denyer/pstack-claude --skill principle-subtract-before-you-add -g -a claude-code -y- Repository
- michael-denyer/pstack-claude3.7k
- Category
- Engineering
- Updated
- 5d ago
- License
- MIT
- Context cost
- Lightabout 164 tokens
- Runs scripts
- No, instructions only
What it does
Apply when sequencing an addition, refactor, or rewrite. Remove dead code, redundant validators, and stub references first, then build on the simpler base.
Subtract Before You Add
When evolving a system, remove complexity first, then build. Default to subtraction.
Make simplification a continual investment. Leave the design slightly simpler and more capable behind the same or smaller surface than you found it.
- Sequence removal before construction
- Cut before you polish (get to the minimum before investing in quality)
- Design for observed usage, not speculative edge cases
- No speculative validators, parsers, or guards beyond what the spec demands
- Simplify prompts (remove redundant instructions, excessive templates)
- When a reference has no novel content, delete it rather than leaving a stub
