All comparisonsRead Chesterton's Fence Read The Algorithm: Question, Delete, Simplify, Accelerate, Automate
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Chesterton's Fence or The Algorithm?
The Algorithm says question every requirement and delete parts and steps boldly. Chesterton's Fence says don't remove something until you know why it is there. They look opposed, but both start by asking why a thing exists.
Chesterton's Fence
Don't remove a fence until you know why it was put up.
Reach for it when
- Being wrong is costly: safety, security or regulatory controls
- The original reason is probably still valid, just undocumented
The Algorithm: Question, Delete, Simplify, Accelerate, Automate
Make the requirements less dumb, delete what you can, and only then simplify, speed up and automate — in that order.
Reach for it when
- The system or process grew by accretion
- Requirements have no named owner who can defend them
Together
Find the owner and the reason for each part. Delete what nobody can justify, keep deletions reversible, and add back the few that turn out to matter.