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, retri…