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Bikeshedding and the Law of Triviality: Why People Focus on Minor Issues

Effectiviology Free Beginner

This explains, with the classic committee-and-bikeshed example, exactly why founders fuss over fonts and micro-copy instead of the harder question of whether the offer is clear: trivial things are easier to have an opinion about. Naming the pattern makes it much easier to catch yourself doing it.

• People gravitate to trivial decisions because they're easy to have an opinion on
• Important, harder questions (like whether strangers understand your offer) get skipped as a result
• Time-boxing minor decisions frees up attention for the ones that actually matter