In our previous lesson on the Pareto Principle, we focused on identifying the "vital few"—the 20% of inputs that generate 80% of the results. This is a powerful strategy for focusing your resources on what works. Today, we'll examine a related but more brutally honest principle: Sturgeon's Law. This law helps us deal with the other side of the equation: the vast majority of things that don't work.
The learning outcome for this lesson is to apply Sturgeon's Law to focus your efforts on the valuable ten percent of lingerie designs and relationship advice, acknowledging that most of everything is of low quality. Where the Pareto Principle is a tool for optimization, Sturgeon's Law is a tool for radical filtration. It saves you time and energy by giving you permission to ignore the noise.
The 90-10 Rule
The principle is named after the science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who, when defending his genre against critics who dismissed it as low-quality, famously retorted:
"Ninety percent of science fiction is crud. But then ninety percent of everything is crud, and it’s the ten percent that isn’t crud that is important."
This assertion, now known as Sturgeon's Law, is a frank acknowledgment of the distribution of quality in any creative or intellectual field. The implication is not to be cynical and dismiss everything, but to become highly effective at identifying and focusing only on the valuable 10%.
To better grasp the philosophical underpinning of this law, it's helpful to see it as a call to action.
90% of Everything is Crap, and What To Do About It - Tim Kastelle
This article by Tim Kastelle provides a concise explanation of Sturgeon's Law and its strategic implications. It argues against wasting time on the low-quality majority and instead focusing on the high-quality minority.
Please read the first part of the article, from the beginning down to the start of the section "Innovation Lessons From Sturgeon’s Law". Pay attention to Daniel Dennett's advice: concentrate on the best stuff. Then, jump to the bullet point on positive deviance, reading the paragraph that begins Positive Deviance. This idea of studying the successful outliers is key to applying the law.
The core takeaway is that your job isn't to critique the 90% of crud, but to develop a sharp filter to ignore it and dedicate your attention to the 10% that matters.
Application 1: Filtering the "Crud" in Lingerie Design
The world of fashion, and especially fast fashion, is a perfect embodiment of Sturgeon's Law. An overwhelming flood of new trends, fabrics, and designs are produced each season, and by the law's own logic, 90% of it is crud: ill-fitting, made from poor materials, and designed to be disposable. As a designer with a background in creating quality lingerie, applying Sturgeon's Law is about systematically separating the wheat from the chaff.
To do this effectively, you need a clear set of criteria for what constitutes "crud" versus "quality." The following videos from two design and sewing experts provide an excellent, practical checklist.
How to Identify Quality in Clothing (A Rant)
In this video, historical fashion expert Bernadette Banner gives a masterclass in identifying markers of poor quality that are rampant in the fast fashion industry. Her analysis provides a concrete filter for identifying the "90% crud".
Please watch the following segments: Two categories of quality: Here she introduces the framework of construction and content (materials). Construction red flags: This is a crucial section. Pay close attention to her points on long stitch lengths, poor pattern matching, weak zippers, small seam allowances, and overlocked/serged seams. These are the tell-tale signs of the 90%. Material red flags: Watch for her analysis of fabric appropriateness, fiber content (especially polyester vs. natural fibers), weave integrity, and the importance of lining. Price vs. Quality: This short segment reinforces that high price does not equal high quality, a key aspect of Sturgeon's Law.
Now let's get another perspective with more examples.
How to recognize poor vs. good quality in clothes (in 5 points) | Justine Leconte
Fashion designer Justine Leconte offers another practical guide with clear comparisons between low- and high-quality garments.
Watch these two sections to solidify your "crud filter": Poor cut and fit: This demonstrates how neglecting basic pattern principles (like proper grainline and providing room for the body) is a major sign of a low-quality item. Sewing quality: This gives excellent visual examples of good versus bad hems, seams, pockets, and lining.
Scenario: You are planning your next lingerie collection. You're faced with a mountain of input: supplier catalogs filled with new fabrics, trend reports predicting the "next big thing," and your own backlog of dozens of design ideas. How do you apply Sturgeon's Law to focus your effort?
The Filtration Process:
- Acknowledge the Crud: Start with the assumption that 90% of the new fabrics are cheap polyester blends that won't breathe or last, 90% of the trends are micro-trends that will be irrelevant in six months, and 90% of your own rough ideas are not worth pursuing. This mindset prevents you from getting overwhelmed.
- Apply Your Quality Filter (The 10% Detector): Using the criteria from the videos, you would systematically filter the input.
- Fabrics: Immediately discard fabrics that are obviously cheap, have a poor hand-feel, are inappropriate for lingerie (e.g., scratchy, non-breathable), or come from suppliers with a reputation for poor quality control. Focus on the 10% of high-quality silks, cottons, laces, and modern synthetics (like Tencel or Modal) that feel good and are durable.
- Designs & Trends: Ignore trends that rely on poor construction (e.g., "deconstructed" looks that are just unfinished seams). Instead, analyze the 10% of enduring design concepts. Your filter might ask:
- Does this design prioritize a good fit, or does it rely on a "one-size-fits-most" boxy cut?
- Does it require robust construction (e.g., supportive seams for a bra) that can't be rushed?
- Is it a classic silhouette with a long history of success, or a fleeting novelty?
- Focus on the "Positive Deviants": Your "valuable 10%" are the designs that pass this filter. These are the ones built on solid principles: great materials, thoughtful construction, and a timeless understanding of the human form. You would invest your time, prototyping budget, and energy exclusively in this curated selection.
Application 2: Filtering Crud in Relationship Advice
Sturgeon's Law is equally applicable to the intangible world of advice, particularly in non-traditional contexts like polyamory. When navigating a vee relationship, you are likely to be deluged with opinions from friends, family, books, and online forums. The vast majority of this "advice" will be crud.
Scenario: The husband in the vee is supporting his wife's relationship with her lover. The structure is new, and they are seeking guidance. They receive a wide range of advice:
- A friend insists, "This is a phase; she'll come back to just you."
- An online forum post proclaims, "The only fair way is to spend equal time with each partner."
- A family member warns, "You're just setting yourself up to get hurt."
- A book on polyamory discusses building security through transparent communication and respecting individual autonomy.
The Filtration Process:
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Acknowledge the Crud: The default assumption should be that 90% of the advice you receive is unhelpful. It's often rooted in monogamous norms, fear, or a complete misunderstanding of your relationship's goals. This includes well-intentioned but ignorant advice from loved ones.
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Apply Your Quality Filter (The 10% Detector): Create a filter to distinguish low-quality advice from high-quality guidance.
- Markers of the 90% (Crud):
- Is it unsolicited?
- Does it come from a source with no experience in ethical non-monogamy?
- Is it absolutist or prescriptive (e.g., "You must...")?
- Does it project fear or predict failure without offering constructive support?
- Does it invalidate your feelings or your relationship structure?
- Markers of the 10% (Value):
- Does it come from someone with relevant, lived experience or professional expertise (e.g., a therapist specializing in non-monogamy)?
- Is it offered as a shared experience or perspective, not a command ("What worked for us was...")?
- Does it acknowledge nuance and complexity?
- Does it empower you to find your own answers based on your unique situation and values?
- Does it align with your established principles, such as honesty, compassion, and autonomy?
- Markers of the 90% (Crud):
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Focus on the "Positive Deviants": In the scenario above, the advice from the friend, the forum, and the family member would be identified as part of the 90% "crud" and politely disregarded. They are low-information, fear-based, or overly simplistic. The valuable 10% is the guidance from the book, which focuses on foundational principles and empowers the couple. The husband and wife would then focus their energy on discussing and applying these principles, rather than defending their relationship against the noise.
Conclusion
Sturgeon's Law is a powerful heuristic for managing your attention in a world saturated with low-quality information. By accepting that "90% of everything is crud," you can shift your focus from feeling overwhelmed by the majority to developing a robust system for finding and engaging with the valuable minority.
Key Takeaways:
- Sturgeon's Law: Assumes 90% of output in any field is low-quality "crud"; the goal is to filter for the valuable 10%.
- In Lingerie Design: This means developing a sharp eye for markers of poor construction (weak seams, bad zippers) and low-grade materials, allowing you to ignore fleeting trends and focus on creating enduring, high-quality pieces.
- In Relationship Dynamics: This means filtering out unsolicited, fear-based, and inapplicable advice to focus only on guidance that is experienced, nuanced, and aligned with your own values and goals.
In our next lesson, we will explore Gibrat's Law, which suggests that the growth rate of a firm is independent of its size. This will move our focus from assessing quality to understanding the dynamics of growth and scale.