Kill Your Darlings
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28
CORE DEFINITION
A maxim of William Faulkner. When revising a work, you must ruthlessly delete those passages or characters you like best, written most gorgeously, but which do not help the overall story. Scaffold role: decentering the self. In product design or entrepreneurship, the features you are proudest of (the darlings) are often a burden to users. For the sake of overall simplicity and effectiveness, you must part with them despite the pain.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Decenter the self: treat your favorite features as suspects, not treasures. - Cut what burdens users: the proudest additions often weigh the product down. - Trade pride for simplicity: forgo beloved elements that fail the overall goal.
Anchor fast decisions
It means having the courage to let go of people, things, relationships, or ideas once cherished but now stripped of value or become burdens, so they do not hold progress back.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/3Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Your_Darlingsverified
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