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principle-subtract-before-you-add

principle-subtract-before-you-add

github.com/q-qp-pDevelopment146 installsUpdated 2w ago
Repository

About principle-subtract-before-you-add

Subtract Before You Add is a design skill for simplifying systems before extending them. It guides contributors to remove unnecessary complexity and base changes on observed usage rather than speculative cases.

Key features

  1. 01Remove complexity before building
  2. 02Trim before polishing
  3. 03Design for observed usage
  4. 04Simplify prompts and references

Use cases

  1. 01Reduce complexity during system changes
  2. 02Review prompts for redundant instructions
  3. 03Remove unused or empty references

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/q-qp-p/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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