Today I removed the Minimize Window and Maximize Window buttons. I run 95% of my software maximized, so I almost never use the minimize button. Must of the times I do click on it, is by mistake.
I don't use the maximize button either, as I've configured my system to maximize windows on double clicking the titlebar, which is a much bigger target anyway.

I did the same thing to my laptop a few days ago. As it's rather annoying to manipulate those small buttons with an inaccurate touchpad, I avoided them as much as possible. After only a few hours I was convinced that I'm not going to miss those buttons, so I did the same to my desktop machine.

The usabillity people should love this, two buttons less that used to be always on the screen.

PS. I dare say the minimize button should never have been added in the first place. The common use of this button is to clear the desktop as to get to the icons on said desktop. But what's the point of having icons (or widgets) on your desktop as there is a window over all the time.[1]
Once you no longer need to go to the desktop[2], the only other use of the minimize button is to go back to a previously used window, if you remember what's underneath the current window. Alt-TAB isprobably faszter.

[1] The KDE people were critiqued for Plasma, as it initially was unable to put files on the desktop, but I think they were completely right. Fortunately the sccientific process of thesis, antithesis and synthesis resulted in an interessting solution called the Folderview Widget.
[2] When you do need to see the desktop, a "Show Desktop" button or key-combo is much faster than minimizing all windows by hand.