Sturgeon's Law
90% of everything is crap.
Tiny Summary
Sturgeon's Law: "90% of everything is crap." Most code, ideas, products, and content is mediocre. The 10% that's excellent is worth finding.
The Origin
Theodore Sturgeon (1958) defending sci-fi: Critics said "90% of sci-fi is crap." His response: "90% of everything is crap."
In Software
Libraries: 90% abandoned/buggy/poorly documented. 10% excellent (React, PostgreSQL). Curation is valuable.
Code quality: 90% technical debt. 10% well-designed, maintainable. That 10% is what matters.
Startup ideas: 90% fail. 10% succeed. Success requires filtering ruthlessly.
Why It Matters
Expect mediocrity: Don't be surprised by bad code. Assume most solutions won't work. Build quality filters.
Value the 10%: When you find good code, treasure it. Good libraries are rare. Excellent engineers are exceptional.
Be realistic: Your first draft is probably in the 90%. Iterate to reach the 10%. Quality takes effort.
Applications
Hiring: 90% of candidates won't fit (that's normal). Focus energy on the 10%.
Code review: 90% of code needs improvement (expected). Iterate toward the 10%.
Content: 90% of tutorials are shallow. 10% that's good is extremely valuable.
Key Insights
Quality is rare. Mediocrity is the norm. Don't waste time on the 90%—find the 10%. Your own work: 90% is probably crap (that's okay, keep improving). Sturgeon's Law applies to itself: 90% of applications of Sturgeon's Law are crap.