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principle-subtract-before-you-add

principle-subtract-before-you-add

github.com/backnotpropDevelopment3.1k5.8k installsUpdated today
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About principle-subtract-before-you-add

A development skill that recommends removing complexity before adding to a system. It helps developers prioritize simplification, observed usage, and the minimum necessary design over speculative safeguards or polish.

Key features

  1. 01Remove before constructing
  2. 02Reach the minimum before polishing
  3. 03Design for observed usage
  4. 04Avoid speculative checks
  5. 05Simplify prompts and references

Use cases

  1. 01Simplifying a system before extending it
  2. 02Trimming prompts and templates
  3. 03Removing unused or content-free references

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/backnotprop/pstack --skill principle-subtract-before-you-add

After installing, type/principle-subtract-before-you-addin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Details

From the project README

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

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