More isn’t always better—especially in 2025. With burnout, bloatware, and overwhelming choices dominating both our personal and professional lives, a revolutionary idea is emerging: smart planning starts with subtraction. Leaders, creators, and high performers are realizing that doing less can often yield more.
The Rising Trend: From Maximalism to Minimalism
For decades, planning meant accumulation: more features, more tasks, more goals. But this “more-is-better” mindset is failing. The rise of minimalist business frameworks and the adoption of essentialist lifestyles are pushing organizations and individuals to strip away what’s unnecessary.
Greg McKeown’s best-seller Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less captures the movement perfectly: eliminate the trivial many to focus on the vital few (McKeown, 2014). Startups and tech firms are now applying this at scale.
Why Subtraction Works: The Cognitive and Strategic Science
Neuroscience shows that our brains get overwhelmed by too many choices. A famous study from Columbia University found that people presented with fewer options were 10 times more likely to make a decision than those offered more (Iyengar and Lepper, 2000). By reducing variables, subtraction simplifies decisions and speeds up execution.
In business strategy, subtraction reduces friction. Apple, for instance, is known for ruthless product simplification—removing the headphone jack in 2016 was controversial, but it made way for wireless innovation that redefined the industry (Gannes, 2016).
Subtraction in Tech: A Shift Toward Leaner Software
Bloatware is out; lean is in. Developers are ditching bloated applications in favor of microservices and modular frameworks. Google’s Flutter and React Native are examples of stripped-down development ecosystems focused on speed and scalability (Gackenheimer, 2023).
This shift isn’t just about elegance—it’s about performance. Lean software means faster loading, lower maintenance costs, and better user satisfaction.
Productivity by Subtraction: Kill the To-Do List
In personal productivity, subtraction is revolutionizing how we manage time. Cal Newport’s concept of “Deep Work” emphasizes subtracting distractions—like email, multitasking, and meetings—to achieve meaningful progress (Newport, 2016).
Instead of massive to-do lists, high performers are adopting “not-to-do” lists: identifying and avoiding tasks that don’t align with their goals. This creates space for focused, high-impact work.
Business Strategy: Less Is the New More
Smart planning through subtraction is giving companies a competitive edge:
- Netflix axed most of its DVD services early to focus on streaming—now it dominates global media.
- Airbnb cut non-core ventures like “Experiences” during COVID to reinforce its home-rental core and bounce back profitably (Soper, 2021).
- Basecamp, the productivity software firm, consciously limits features to avoid bloat and maintain simplicity, earning a loyal user base.
Minimalist UX and Design: Clarity Over Clutter
User experience (UX) design is also benefiting. Modern UI trends embrace whitespace, limited color palettes, and fewer clicks. Why? Because subtraction reduces cognitive load and increases usability. Google’s homepage is the eternal example—clean, fast, focused.
Designers are taught to ask: “What can we remove to make this better?” That question is now extending across entire business models.
How to Implement Subtraction-Based Planning
Here’s a practical guide to start:
1. Identify the Noise
Audit your projects, tools, meetings, and goals. What’s not contributing real value?
2. Focus on the Essential Few
Apply the 80/20 rule: focus on the 20% that delivers 80% of outcomes.
3. Kill Legacy Systems
If a process or product no longer serves a critical role, cut it—even if it’s “always been done that way.”
4. Limit Options
Too many options paralyze decision-making. Reduce choices for your team and customers.
5. Set Boundaries
Cap meeting lengths, set email hours, and reduce availability to increase focus time.
The Takeaway
Smart planning starts with subtraction—a strategic shift from doing more to doing what truly matters. As we navigate a world overloaded with noise and complexity, subtraction offers clarity, focus, and results.
Organizations embracing minimalism aren’t falling behind—they’re leaping ahead. Whether in tech, design, productivity, or leadership, the winners of 2025 are those who cut the clutter and double down on what works.
References
Hetal Sonpal, “The Life‑Changing Magic of Subtraction: Why Your Next Big Win Starts with Letting Go,” Medium, 2025.
Link: https://medium.com/write-a-catalyst/the-life-changing-magic-of-subtraction-why-your-next-big-win-starts-with-letting-go
Gabrielle Adams, Benjamin A. Converse, Andrew Hales & Leidy Klotz, “When Subtraction Adds Value,” Harvard Business Review, February 4, 2022.
Link: https://hbr.org/2022/02/when-subtraction-adds-value
Caroline Wall, “When Less is More: The Art of the Subtraction Strategy,” StrategyBlocks, March 30, 2022.
Link: https://www.strategyblocks.com/blog/when-less-is-more-the-art-of-the-subtraction-strategy/
