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principle-subtract-before-you-add

principle-subtract-before-you-add

github.com/cursorDevelopment14.6k4.4k installsUpdated 1d ago
Repository

About principle-subtract-before-you-add

A coding-agent skill that treats subtraction as the default when evolving a system. It recommends removing complexity before building and designing for observed use rather than speculative cases.

Key features

  1. 01Remove complexity before building
  2. 02Cut to the minimum before polishing
  3. 03Design for observed usage
  4. 04Avoid speculative validation and guards
  5. 05Simplify prompts
  6. 06Delete references with no new content

Use cases

  1. 01Simplifying an evolving system
  2. 02Trimming an oversized prompt
  3. 03Removing unused or redundant references

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/cursor/plugins --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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