Subtract
by Leidy Klotz
Key Concepts
Default Add
Humans naturally default to adding elements when trying to improve things.
Subtractive Advantage
Removing elements can lead to more efficient, elegant, and sustainable solutions.
Cognitive Ease
Adding feels easier because it's less cognitively demanding than identifying what to remove.
Hidden Complexity
Unnecessary additions create unforeseen complexity and resource drain.
Less is More
True innovation often comes from simplifying and refining by taking things away.
Action Items
Before adding, always ask: "What can I remove or simplify?"
Identify and eliminate redundant steps in processes or designs.
Practice decluttering ideas to reveal core insights.
Challenge the assumption that more features equal more value.
Prioritize by actively removing non-essential tasks or elements.
Core Thesis
We instinctively add to solve problems, but often, the most effective and innovative solutions involve subtracting.
Mindset Shift
The book shifts our perspective from an automatic "add-on" approach to problem-solving towards a deliberate and powerful "take-away" strategy.