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What does "bikeshedding" mean in programming?
bikeshedding is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.
Definition
Spending disproportionate time debating trivial or cosmetic decisions while avoiding harder, more important ones. The term comes from Parkinson's Law of Triviality: a committee building a nuclear plant spent most of its time debating what color to paint the bike shed.
Example
"We bikeshedded for 45 minutes on button label wording while the actual architecture decision got five minutes."
Related terms
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