The Joy of Deleting Code

There’s a strange, almost visceral satisfaction that comes with deleting code.

When you first start out, productivity feels like it’s measured in lines written. The more you type, the more you’re "building." But as time goes on, you realize that code is a liability. Every line is something that needs to be maintained, debugged, and understood by the next person (who is often just you, six months later, wondering what on earth you were thinking).

I spent part of this week untangling a messy React component. It had grown organically over months—a new prop here, a quick workaround there. It was fragile.

Instead of adding another conditional to fix the latest bug, I decided to step back and rethink the abstraction. I pulled out a custom hook, simplified the state, and suddenly, I was able to delete 150 lines of complex, hard-to-follow logic.

The component works exactly the same, but it’s lighter now. Easier to read. Less likely to break.

Deleting code isn't just about making the file smaller; it's about clarifying intent. It’s the realization that you finally understand the problem well enough to solve it simply.

Next time you’re staring at a tangled mess, ask yourself: What can I remove? You might find that the best way to move forward is to leave less behind.