the-courage-to-deletelisted

# The Courage to Delete ## Overview This skill helps the user subtract well. Most systems are built to add: more features, more flows, more promises, more structure. This skill asks the harder question: what is making the thing weaker by merely existing? ## When to Use Use this when: - the product feels bloated - the core value is getting harder to see - a roadmap is accumulating obligations faster than conviction - the team needs help saying no to already-present things Do not use this as an excuse for aesthetic minimalism. Deleting is only good when it strengthens the essence of the product. ## What to Produce Identify: - the core promise - what currently supports it - what currently dilutes it - candidate deletions - what gets stronger if those pieces go away When useful, show two shapes: - the current wider version - the leaner, more legible version ## Working Loop 1. State the core promise. What is the product most deeply trying to do for the user? 2. Sort the current parts. Which pieces intensify that promise, and which merely coexist with it? 3. Identify dilution. Look for features that split attention, create extra obligations, or make the product keep too many promises at once. 4. Show the stronger smaller shape. Do not just say "delete this." Explain what becomes clearer, lighter, or more legible if it goes away. ## Suggested Output Shape - `Core promise` - `What strengthens it` - `What dilutes it` - `Delete / keep / maybe later` - `Wh