principle-subtract-before-you-add

# Subtract Before You Add When evolving a system, remove complexity first, then build. Deletion gives you a simpler base, which makes the next addition smaller and less brittle. **Why:** Adding to a complex system compounds complexity. Removing first cuts the surface area, reveals the essential structure, and usually makes the next design obvious. 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. **The pattern:** - 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 - Out-of-spec features drag validators behind them. Persistence, retry-on-startup, and schema migration each need guards to defend their inputs. - Simplify prompts (remove redundant instructions, excessive templates) - When a reference has no novel content, delete it rather than leaving a stub