Egocentric Bias

You're seeing Egocentric Bias when multiple people on the same project each believe they did most of the work. If you asked everyone their percentage contribution, the total would far exceed 100%.

You're seeing Egocentric Bias when a leader assumes their reasoning is obvious to everyone else, or that their priorities should naturally be the team's priorities. The gap between "what I think matters" and "what others think matters" is the bias in action.

Founders are especially prone to egocentric bias because the company revolves around them early on. As the team grows, actively credit others, check your assumptions about shared priorities, and build feedback loops that correct your self-centred defaults.

Catmull built Pixar's Braintrust — a structured feedback process where directors receive candid criticism from peers — precisely to counteract egocentric bias. He recognised that creators naturally overvalue their own vision and undervalue outside input. The Braintrust worked because it separated feedback from authority: no one could override the director, but the director had to listen. Founders can apply this by creating formal spaces where their assumptions get challenged. Egocentric bias is strongest when you're closest to the work. Build systems that force you to hear what others actually see, not what you assume they see. Catmull's insight: the process of correcting for ego is itself the creative advantage.