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principle-subtract-before-you-add

principle-subtract-before-you-add

github.com/ericlitmanDevelopment54248 installsUpdated 2w ago
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About principle-subtract-before-you-add

A development skill for evolving systems by reducing complexity before adding new parts. It favors observed needs, minimal implementations, and removing redundant instructions or references.

Key features

  1. 01Remove before constructing
  2. 02Reach a minimum before polishing
  3. 03Design for observed usage
  4. 04Avoid speculative validation and guards
  5. 05Delete references without novel content

Use cases

  1. 01Simplifying an existing design
  2. 02Trimming prompts and templates
  3. 03Deciding whether a proposed guard is necessary

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/ericlitman/open-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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