Say it like this
- We got into some serious yak shaving trying to deploy this feature.
- This task is pure yak shaving at this point.
- I hate when a simple fix turns into yak shaving.
Use it at work
Explaining your day
- I spent the morning yak shaving. I had to fix three tools first.
- Sorry, I got stuck yak shaving.
Planning
- Let's avoid yak shaving and use the existing setup.
- Is this real work or yak shaving?
Humor
- Fixing the build to fix the test to fix the bug. Classic yak shaving.
- Today was 90% yak shaving.
Don't say this
Yak shaving is a noun describing a situation, not something you do directly to an object. You do not yak shave something; instead, you become caught in yak shaving.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| yak shaving | Many side tasks before the real one | Engineers | Setup problems |
| bike-shedding | Debating small details too long | Teams | Meetings |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. Your team spent three days fixing dependencies before addressing the original bug. How would you describe this?
2. What started as a simple database query turned into _______ when we realized we needed to upgrade the ORM first.
3. Which sentence uses 'yak shaving' incorrectly?
4. Rewrite this using yak shaving: 'We wanted to add a new button, but we had to fix the API, then update the server, then fix the database connection first.'
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"We got into some serious yak shaving trying to deploy this feature."
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More about yak shaving
Real examples(3)
- in a standup
"I wanted to fix the search functionality, but it turned into yak shaving because I had to refactor the entire database query layer first."
- in a code review
"We ended up doing a lot of yak shaving here, updating three different dependencies before we could even test the original change."
- in a team meeting
"The task was supposed to take two hours, but we fell into yak shaving when we discovered the development environment was broken."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Do not use yak shaving to mean simply working on something unimportant. It specifically refers to discovering that a task requires completion of many prerequisite tasks first.
- ✕We need to yak shave the code before shipping.✓We need to avoid yak shaving and focus on the main feature.
Yak shaving is not a positive action to perform. It describes getting distracted by prerequisite tasks, which is something to avoid or acknowledge, not to deliberately do.
- ✕Yak shaving means working overtime.✓Yak shaving means doing many prerequisite tasks before completing your original task.
Yak shaving is about task dependencies, not about working long hours. It can happen within regular hours.
Other forms(2)
- yak shaving noun
"The deployment turned into yak shaving when we discovered the configuration files were incompatible."
- a yak shaving situation noun phrase
"We are in a yak shaving situation where every fix requires another fix."
Often used with(4)
- fall into yak shaving · to inadvertently become involved in prerequisite tasks
- avoid yak shaving · to try to prevent getting distracted by prerequisite tasks
- pure yak shaving · used to emphasize that a situation involves many unrelated tasks
- yak shaving session · a period of time spent on prerequisite tasks
Similar words(3)
- scope creep · refers to projects growing in scope; yak shaving is more about discovering technical dependencies
- rabbit hole · both mean getting distracted, but yak shaving specifically involves technical prerequisites
- blocked by dependencies · yak shaving emphasizes the chain of unexpected dependencies
Opposites(3)
- focused work
- streamlined process
- direct solution
Questions(4)
- What does yak shaving mean in software engineering?
- Yak shaving is the situation where you discover that completing your original task requires completing many prerequisite tasks first. The term describes the frustration of a task spiraling into multiple unrelated subtasks due to technical dependencies.
- Where does the term yak shaving come from?
- The term comes from a humorous saying that to shave a yak, you must first find it, catch it, prepare it, gather tools, and so on. In tech, it became popular as a metaphor for how one simple task reveals the need for many other tasks.
- Is yak shaving always a bad thing?
- While yak shaving can be frustrating because it delays the original goal, discovering and addressing technical dependencies is sometimes necessary. However, teams try to minimize yak shaving by identifying dependencies early and planning accordingly.
- How do you use yak shaving in a sentence at work?
- You typically use it to describe a situation you fell into: We fell into yak shaving when we tried to implement the new logging system. It can also describe a problematic state: This project has become pure yak shaving.
