Individual skill
principle-subtract-before-you-add
Apply when sequencing an addition, refactor, or rewrite. Remove dead code, redundant validators, and stub references first, then build on the simpler base.
plugins/pstack/skills/principle-subtract-before-you-add/SKILL.md
Source commit a80f632878066f0291db9e583e76daf09702d303
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- Last checked
- Nov 5, 2026
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- Repository last updated
- Nov 4, 2026
- License
- MIT
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SKILL.mdcore · 900 bytes
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# 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