The 2nd Most Important Task of a Software Developer

The most import task of a software developer is to write code. Well, this answer was pretty easy. Really, yes! But what is second most important skill. I ask my colleagues, first guy says, watching youtube - nice but wrong, 2nd guy: write good documentation - good shot but also wrong.
For me and I'm confident that I'm right, the second most important task of a software developer is to delete code. The first important task is to write code and the second important task is to delete code.
I don't mean delete bugy code, I mean delete working code. Why should you do this?

We have limited time and limited count of developer, this means, we have a more or less constant velocity developing code. If our code base grows, we spend time for maintenance code an we have less time for developing new features, an so on and so on util we reached standstill.

To avoid the standstill, we suggest following tasks to reduce the code size, it a little bit like the Simplify your Life Literature

1. remove dead code
2. refactor code to build simpler and shorter code
3. reimplement code in an effective way, change tools, ... 
4. delete working code if there is users don't require the function anymore

If somebody say's that we keep this function because, we may use them - then remove the code. The word may is the indicator to remove the code. If we delete to much code, don't worry. Most of the times it cheaper to rewrite a little peace of code instead of keeping all old code fragments.

Here some link illustrating the problems:

1. Linux Maintainer needed, because of heavy load and huge Code base http://www.golem.de/news/linuxcon-dem-linux-kernel-fehlen-maintainer-1510-116749.html
2. Linux is planning to remove EXT3 filesystem http://www.pro-linux.de/news/1/22532/ext3-dateisystemtreiber-soll-aus-linux-entfernt-werden.html