I've noticed a pattern in software development: teams spend countless hours optimizing features that shouldn't exist at all. It's a trap that's easy to fall into and hard to escape.

Why do smart people do this? Optimization feels like progress. You can measure it, graph it, show it off in demos. "Look, we made it 30% faster!" But there's a deeper reason: optimizing bad features lets you avoid asking hard questions.

The best product teams I've seen don't just make things better. They make things disappear. They have an almost supernatural ability to simplify. Their mantra isn't "How can we improve this?" but "Do we need this at all?"

Consider word processors. Some teams obsess over perfecting every possible formatting option. Others focus on creating a clean, simple writing environment. Which approach tends to change how people actually work?

Here's the playbook for making this work:

1. Ruthlessly question every feature. Does it truly solve a real problem?
2. Be willing to say no to "cool" ideas that don't add genuine value.
3. Talk to users constantly. Not to ask what features they want, but to understand their fundamental needs.

Remember: every feature you add is a feature you'll have to maintain, explain, and support forever. Every bit of complexity you introduce is complexity your users have to navigate.

The best software isn't the one that does the most. It's the one that solves real problems in the simplest possible way. Teams that grasp this don't just make better products. They fundamentally change how people interact with technology.

Isn't that what software development should really be about?