The Art of Simplicity

Less, but better

Dieter Rams said it decades ago, and it's still the hardest principle to follow in software: less, but better.

Why we over-engineer

The temptation to add is strong. One more feature. One more configuration option. One more abstraction layer. Each addition feels justified in isolation, but the cumulative weight eventually crushes the product.

The discipline of removal

The hardest design decisions aren't about what to add — they're about what to remove. Every feature you cut is a feature you don't have to maintain, document, or debug.

Simple is not easy

Simplicity requires deep understanding. You have to know the problem space well enough to identify the essential complexity — the parts you can't remove without losing the core value.

Everything else is accidental complexity, and it should be eliminated without mercy.

The goal isn't a system that can do everything. It's a system that does the right things effortlessly.