principle-subtract-before-you-add
Apply when sequencing an addition, refactor, or rewrite. Remove dead weight, redundant validators, and stub references first, then build on the simpler base.
How do I install this agent skill?
npx skills add https://github.com/cursor/plugins --skill principle-subtract-before-you-addIs this agent skill safe to install?
- Gen Agent Trust Hubpass
This skill provides architectural guidance and best practices for code simplification and refactoring. It contains no executable code, network operations, or sensitive data access.
- Socketpass
No alerts
- Snykpass
Risk: LOW · No issues
What does this agent skill do?
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
How can the creator link this skill?
Add the canonical catalog link to the repository README so users can inspect current installs and available audits. The publishing guide covers the complete discovery path.
<a href="https://skillzs.dev/skills/cursor/plugins/principle-subtract-before-you-add">View principle-subtract-before-you-add on skillZs</a>