[digitaltrees]

From the article: After months of fraught conversations, Fried and his co-founder, David Heinemeier Hansson moved to shut those conversations down.

If my team spent months debating these issues I would be concerned as well.

[MattRix]

You say that as if the team spent literally all their work time debating these issues during those months.

[digitaltrees]

It only takes a ten minute dysfunctional conversation to profoundly damage a team. If the debate became detrimental then a pause is warranted.