Sturgeon's Law
90% of everything is crap.
Theodore Sturgeon, science fiction writer, 1957. Originally a defence of science fiction against critics: yes, 90% of science fiction is crap, but 90% of everything is crap, including the highbrow literature you're using as a comparison.
The principle generalises broadly. 90% of business books are crap. 90% of startups are crap. 90% of meetings are crap. 90% of online content is crap. The remaining 10% is what's worth your time.
For operators, the practical version is to be selective. The 90% will eat all your time if you let it. The 10% is what compounds. Most consumption decisions improve when you assume Sturgeon's Law and demand evidence the thing is in the top 10% before engaging.
Examples in the wild
Most consulting deliverables, training programs, and management books fall into Sturgeon's 90%. The 10% that's genuinely useful is worth seeking out.
Most investment opportunities you'll see in a career are mediocre. The discipline of waiting for the top 10% (see [too-hard-pile]) is what produces outperformance.
Most TV, most news, most social media is in the 90%. Your time is finite. Demand evidence something is in the top 10% before consuming it.
Sturgeon's Law is one of the mental models we apply through real cases inside the Pareto MBA — a part-time program for professionals who want to think clearly about business.