The hardest design decisions aren’t about what to add.
This morning I cut a backend application, a server, automated API calls, a contact form, and a daily quote feature. None of it was broken. Some of it was clever. All of it was in the way.
Every dependency looks like a feature when you add it. It looks like a liability when it breaks or sits unused.
The question I ask before adding anything: what does this cost if it fails or isn’t used?
Subtracting is harder than adding. Adding feels like progress. Subtracting means admitting something you built no longer serves you.
The strongest systems aren’t the most sophisticated. They have the fewest parts that can break.