Via Negativa

Improve by subtraction before addition. Prefer removing harm, waste, and nonessential complexity; add only when a demonstrated need remains after removal candidates are exhausted.

When to Use

• About to add a feature, abstraction, dependency, process, or control to fix a problem.
• Simplifying a system or workflow where complexity is the tax.
• Prioritizing by deciding what not to keep, build, or maintain.
• Performance or reliability work where eliminating a bad path beats bolting on mitigation.

When NOT to Use

• Load-bearing controls: auth, validation, tests, rate limits, retries, safety checks — presume necessary until proven dead.
• A demonstrated requirement that cannot be met by removal or simplification.
• Aesthetic minimalism without evidence of non-use or net harm.
• Irreversible deletion without a rollback path when impact is unknown.

Procedure