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Yak shaving is a progranming term that refers to a series of tasks that need to be performed before a project can progress to its next milestone. This term is believed to have been coined by Carlin Vieri and was inspired by an episode of "The Ren & Stimpy Show." The term's name alludes to the seeming uselessness of the tasks being performed, even though they may be necessary to solve a larger problem. The process of complicating a simple activity also may be considered yak shaving.
From: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/15511/yak-shaving