The “law of triviality” or the “bicycle shed effect”
This is the idea that when planning or making decisions, people can often spend more time on the small, inconsequential details than on the major issues.
The original example was of a committee working on the plans for a nuclear power plant but getting distracted by which materials to use for the staff bike shed, hence the term “bikeshedding.”
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Conducting market research
Analyzing data to make informed decisions
Developing a product roadmap
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Bikeshedding explained
The metaphor is as follows: Imagine a financial committee meeting to discuss a three-point agenda.
- A proposal for a £10 million nuclear power plant
- A proposal for a £350 bike shed
- A proposal for a £21 annual coffee budget
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