But it’s got to be perfect!
Let me be blunt: I'm not a perfectionist, I'm a pragmatist. If something works, I do it that way until there's a practical reason to change it.
I'm that way both by choice and by force of circumstances. I work from the house, I have a wife, a nineteen year old daughter and a two year old son. My wife is currently pregnant with our third child. I only work about twenty hours a week and in that time have to support more than a dozen software applications. In addition I'm involved in a ministry work that occupies about 80 hours a month of my time.
I'm a man who can't waste time on perfection unless it's absolutely required. But the reality is that perfection is almost never required for success. In fact, perfection very often gets in the way of success! Why do I say that?
Because real success comes from taking action, getting feedback on that action, and then modifying your next steps based on the feedback.
A good example of this is software development. When I used to work for software development firms, we spent enormous amounts of time on gathering requirements, meeting with customers and going over charts and tables and diagrams. In short, we designed the software to death before releasing it because we wanted the first release to be "perfect." We often discovered, though, that what we created for the customers missed the mark, and so we went back through the cycle all over again. It was slow and expensive!
I've long since given up on that ridiculous form of product development. Now when I have an idea for a tool, I create a rough and ready version of the tool and get the people on my email list to beta test it for me and provide feedback. From that feedback I make improvements and release those improvements back to the beta testers. I repeat this cycle until I'm getting a majority of testers telling me that the tool is great. Once that happens I officially release the tool for sale. But I never stop repeating the release -> feedback -> release cycle, even after the tool is launched.
This method is vastly superior to the "design to death" methodology because it gets the product into the hands of its users much faster, and it allows the users to make design change suggestions based on actual interaction with the software rather than less tangible things like pie charts and tables. It's hard to know if a tool will do the job well until somebody uses it, no matter how many diagrams and flowcharts you show them.
The release -> feedback -> release methodology is not limited to software, though. Let's say you've got an idea for a web site, and you spend enormous amounts of time and money designing the site and creating the content, but you don't release it until everything's "perfect" -- only to find out that the idea doesn't have enough traction to be profitable. What a waste of time and money!
What if the guys who invented the VHS tape never released it because they already had the idea for the DVD, even though they knew it would be more than a decade before that product idea was complete? Think of the lost profits to the company, and of all those movies we never would have gotten to watch at home! The VHS was far from perfect, but it worked well enough and was a huge success because of it.
In my opinion, it's much better to put something together and push it out, then get feedback from your market to see if the idea has traction. If you see some encouraging results, you press on and improve based on the feedback. But if the idea flops, you're out a lot less time and money!
And don't underestimate the power of being first to market. If you wait too long trying to perfect an idea, it's likely that other people will get a similar product out before you do -- even if its of lower quality. That lower quality product can quickly become the household name, and once they have the market they improve on it as needed, making it much harder for you to get your product noticed.
To use the VHS example again, did you know that the first DVD-like disc came out in 1978? It was called laserdisc, and was the first commercial optical disc storage medium. The laserdisc made for much higher quality movies than VHS -- but it was a flop. Why? Because VHS came out in 1976, two years earlier, and was already a major product on the market. It didn't take 10 years for the "next best thing" to be invented, but it failed because the household name was already established.
Take Google as another example. How good would a new search engine have to be to replace Google as your search engine of choice? Even if the new engine was just as good or even better, people are so used to Google that getting them to switch would be very difficult.
That's why it's so important that you not waste time on perfection. If you have a great idea, you need to "get it out there" after doing enough initial testing to make sure of a reasonable amount of quality. Your customers will tell you where improvements need to be made. What you think people want is often not what they're after! I've been surprised over and over again by my customers when they ask for improvements in areas I was sure wouldn't be important to them, and just as surprised with what they thought didn't matter that I was sure would be their number one priority.
So whatever you're working on, take action, gather feedback, improve it and keep moving. Trade your perfection for a work in progress and your chances of success will greatly improve.
Please post your thoughts and questions in a comment below.
Enjoy this article?
March 1st, 2011 - 01:39
Interesting take.
I am a perfectionist but I’m trying to rid myself of this affliction! lol!
I’m trying to focus on passion first, perfection second as a rule
February 12th, 2011 - 01:09
Great article. I have always been “a perfectionist” and this is something I have really been trying to work on. I have to have a conscious conversation with perfectionist side and jot down the the benefits of a quicker launch or implementation. Perfection is a difficult habit to overcome.
January 3rd, 2011 - 22:50
I have never been a perfectionist. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Rick
December 31st, 2010 - 00:41
internet has a vast area in the world. there are huge amount of internet user. they can find some information with the help of internet. so you can do marketing here. it is very effective. thanks
December 20th, 2010 - 04:19
Hey Jon,
I totally agree with that. I once just got my marketing job only by saying that I am aware of perfectionism but more important is getting things done in time. When you have so many things to do there is no time to waste your time on just one thing just so it is perfect, doesnt work.
December 11th, 2010 - 00:43
Hey Jon
Nice timing as this serves as a wake up call for me. I’ve been trying to release my wordpress software but have been trying to make it perfect.
Well we all know that perfect doesn’t exist. A much better approach, as you say, is to release it first and let the market judge.
Well written.
December 3rd, 2010 - 03:49
I have to say I am quite the perfectionist. I can’t stand it if my written works have errors in them. And come to think of it, I do have this tendency to waste a lot of my own time trying to perfect anything I’ve written.
December 2nd, 2010 - 12:22
Hi Jonathan, I came across your name on the net because I was looking for information on PRESELLING as I wish to get off to a good start with Affiliate marketing and I saw “Preselling Secrets” which I bought today. I really like what I see and I plan to follow some of your ideas. I like your writing style, so I followed the link to your blog which I am impressed . Thanks for making my day brighter.
December 2nd, 2010 - 11:30
This is interesting! I enjoyed reading your great post.Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have shared here.
December 2nd, 2010 - 08:43
I agree totally. Sometimes having a lot of restraints helps you market faster and settle for something that works, but not necessarily the best..
November 26th, 2010 - 22:20
Hi Jon,
Excellent post. This is especially valuable advice for people who are developing websites or information products. It’s important to produce quality products, but also to realise that you can’t dwell on perfection. If you refuse to release a product or a website until it is perfect, you will never get anywhere in the online world.
Strive for quality, always, and then get the product on the market!
All the best best,
Laurie
November 25th, 2010 - 14:55
I’ve seen results when I just get in and do things and then I have failed to produce results when I try to make it perfect first.
A lot of learning and improving can happen while doing something.
On the other hand I really detest junk, so there is a balance to find.
November 24th, 2010 - 04:28
Jon, this post is well said and we just have execute things fast without delay and excuses. Thank you.
November 23rd, 2010 - 01:21
Your comments about prefectionism are a timely reminder to me. A trap I often fall into. I think for me its a great way of avoiding moving on to the next daunting task.
Ian’s story is great. I love the way he moves from problem to solution.
November 22nd, 2010 - 10:20
Excellent points and reminders for us “perfectionist procrastinators”. If we plan too much- life will pas us by and we won’t get anything done. I “knew” this information but the way you put it really made everything more clear in my mind.
Blessings,
Eren
November 21st, 2010 - 20:53
Thanks for the reminder Jonathan! As a chronic perfectionist, I need it!
November 21st, 2010 - 10:32
Hi Jon,
As always your penning is a classic example of the 4 Cs of good writing – whether by design or not.
I absolutely agree in principle with your philosophy but would like to add a caveat. Not everyone has a market like yours – people who trust and know you and are willing to ride the release – feedback – release route with you. In general, buyers are an unforgiving lot and if a product [regardless of what it is] bombs the first time because of insufficient thought there most likely won’t be a second chance.
Are there exceptions? Rarely in an open market. My regular clients are willing to overlook a minor fault very occasionally, but not a prospective client. I get only one shot the first time.
Am I missing a point?
Dan J.
November 19th, 2010 - 14:22
Yeah, you are right Jon. At times, when you are excited and boost up with high spirit to do Internet Marketing, you tend to make your webpage or blog as detailed as possible and as perfect as you can, especially for IM newbies or part timer like me.
I suppose the correct approach will be focus on “set-up-to-work” than “set-up-for-perfection”.
Thanks for the great article!
November 19th, 2010 - 10:30
I’ve found the government model to work fine–80% right is good enough for most things.
November 19th, 2010 - 00:21
Excellent choice of words to use in this post Jonathan! I definitely agree with the whole thought of the entry, perfection is no match to a progressive and consistently upgrading/expanding form of service/product, knowing that people will not just stay with your for long, but rather be more excited with what’s next with it. (Just like how we are kept overwhelmed by technology day by day).
November 18th, 2010 - 09:17
For perfectionists like myself, your warning for us to fight the urge to keep “polishing the cannonball” really hits the mark.
Fire away, already!
November 18th, 2010 - 05:49
Regarding software, a definition of “perfection” is, evidently, necessary. It seems that almost all contributors to this blog are equating “perfection” with “having all desirable features”. This is not my concept of perfection at all. My view, as a long-time professional software engineer, is that if a software product has no bugs and its interface is naturally intuitive for ease of use, then it is perfect, regardless of what it actually does or might do in the future.
Extra features can be added after the initial release, of course, but no software should be released until it has been thoroughly tested, first in-house, and then beta-tested, not just for bugs, but also for usability.
Releasing buggy or frustrating-to-use software only damages the producer’s reputation, and is likely to affect future sales adversely.
I shall certainly NOT be releasing my information product protection software until it is perfect, regardless of the fact that someone may beat me to it, now that I’ve mentioned it. That’s a risk I’m prepared to take.
As a perfectionist, I’ve probably made less money than I could have, had I adopted a “shove it out the door and fix the problems when the complaints arrive” attitude, but I still have my pride and my reputation for bug-free, easy-to-use software, which mean more to me than money.
“Perfection” does not mean “all possible features”. Extra desirable functionality can always be added as new ideas arise, either from the producer or from user feedback. What is not desirable, however, is receiving complaints or reports of errors or usability issues from paying customers.
Regarding the comments about “analysis paralysis”, there’s a tremendous difference between creating your own software product and creating one for a paying client. If you’re doing it for yourself, perhaps a few user interface diagrams will suffice to get started, and then you “make it up as you go along”. You CANNOT, however, do that when you’re being paid a fee to create the software.
A specific agreement on the client’s requirements MUST exist BEFORE any coding is started. These “Terms of Reference” are definitive and must be understood and signed off by both parties. They should be written and agreed incrementally, because early mistakes are more costly to correct later.
As for “scope creep”, the Agreement should state that any additions or changes are at the expense of the client; so, the developer does not need to suffer financially.
Size also matters. The larger and more complex a project is, the greater is the necessity for accurate documentation. It is generally accepted that 90% of the effort should be dedicated to analysis and design, and only 10% to the actual coding.
The documentation is also essential in cases where the original developer is replaced with another later, perhaps for the purpose of a major enhancement to the product, or its integration with another system.
Sorry that this seems to have turned into a rant, but I felt that the real significance of “perfection” had been misunderstood throughout this blog.
February 16th, 2011 - 12:46
Hi MultiMediaViewer,
Sorry, but I must totally disagree with you.
I am a writer and very much in demand. This is because I do all my own writing, write only original content and am an extreme perfectionist when it comes to my writing.
But, having said that I must add that I have been in on numerous ones of Jon’s Beta test, and think his ideas in the post above are right on the mark.
Your statement:
‘Extra features can be added after the initial release, of course, but no software should be released until it has been thoroughly tested, first in-house, and then beta-tested, not just for bugs, but also for usability’.
Every program Jon releases as a Beta works very well, have been thoroughly tested (in-house), and they are extremely usable on the first day of the Beta release.
During the Beta they work better for some than for others (depending on their computers, operation system, what country they are working from and what each individual needs), this is on the first day of the Beta release. In addition, during the entire (free use) Beta release, he allows us to tell him exactly what we want, what we need, and what will work best for us.
This feedback gives him the opportunity to give his customers EXACTLY what they want. During the meantime, we are given the opportunity to use the product (free) and give feedback until Jon gets it as close to perfect as any software company could.
No matter how long a product is worked on, it is never perfect for every user.
Therefore, your idea of perfection is not the same as everyone’s idea of perfection.
Only God can create perfection on the first try.
HoneyJo
November 18th, 2010 - 02:27
Google gets it right most of the time and the fact that they take the anchor text in the links is a great for US INTERNET MARKETERS to influence the serps even by a lil.
November 17th, 2010 - 17:37
I love this post! You’ve really hit the mark with this one. It’s so important to get things out there and get user/visitor feedback. You never know what’s going to work until you put it out and hear what real people think. The ironic thing is that the more perfect product is created using the method you describe — not by keeping it under lock and key in a lab working it to what you “think” is perfection. Great job!
November 17th, 2010 - 16:03
I agree to not always strive for perfection, I believe perfection doesn’t even exist and it holds many people back.
Taking the first step toward a goal is way better then thinking about taking the first step.
Thanks for the post!
November 17th, 2010 - 14:05
Your article hits the nail square on the head. It’s the ancient law of Diminishing Returns. The more you do, the less you get for the effort expended.
The trick is to know where the tipping point lies, and it can be said that in relation to software, that point lies where the dumbest IM’er can work the software easily,get a good result at a reasonable cost.
It seems to me Jon, that everytime I’ve seen a new piece of work from you and asked to try it, you have got it pretty well dead-on.
Well done, keep up the good work, the Ministry ‘n all!
Charles
November 17th, 2010 - 12:57
Awesome posting Jon,
All your information is indeed hardly ever came to the realization, consistently informative. Certainly, with the consideration the fact that, remarkably first with a market is most beneficial.
Thanks.
November 17th, 2010 - 10:27
Great insight post. Enough to inspire anybody off the couch!
November 16th, 2010 - 20:45
You made a point on that. Nothing can be made flawless at the onset. Although the most important as far as I am concerned is to at least make it do the basic functions before release. I realized this long ago as I wanted to put up my first website. I wanted it to be perfect only to check other similar sites then discover that I missed something. It took me almost 2 months before I finally said “I will put it up and improve it on the fly:” That was when I managed my first site. Otherwise, it may never be launched.
November 16th, 2010 - 18:38
Good motivational post. I completely agree that perfection is not necessary. This is relevant to me right now because I am working on redesigning one of my websites. Rather than get it 100% complete, I think it would make sense to launch 75% complete. By having the design out there, it would act as extra motivation to work on it too. When it is a work in progress waiting to be released, there is less pressure to actually finish it.
November 16th, 2010 - 17:06
WOW I remember the laser disc. It was Magnavox that had the first or one of the first laser disc players, and I new it would go big. I even planned to buy the Magnavox player as soon as I had the money saved up. But it never took off and I forgot all about it.
I’m a perfectionist to, and it slowed me down at first when I wanted to start building web pages.
November 16th, 2010 - 16:33
Really useful information for internet marketers
November 16th, 2010 - 16:14
I agree with your point exactly! There is no time like the present – if you have an idea – do it. Life’s too short and we are all on this planet a relatively short space of time!
November 16th, 2010 - 14:26
As one commenter said, it’s a balance. However much we all agree with this it doesn’t make it any easier for the obsessive compulsive among us to move forward and release our work or launch our websites. So many people are stuck getting it right and of course it never happens and they give up. Internet Marketing for me has been an incredible teacher. It’s taught me so much about myself and I’ve had to change in order to move forward. Always look within for the answers.
November 16th, 2010 - 13:46
Jonathan,
Great article!!
I tend to want everything “perfect”. It often causes a lot of problems with relationships. It’s especially hard on my 18 year old son, who is an exceptionally great kid.
You mentioned being involved in a ministry. I’m curious to know what it is. From your mailing address, I have thoughts on what it may be. Though, only a guess. I’d be interested in hearing from you on this topic.
John
November 16th, 2010 - 12:00
Hello Jon,
Some time ago, I was arguing with one of my children (I have two, one aged 19 and another of 17) a subject like his philosophy, and certesa was favorable. In this talk I discussed on a certain need to limit (it’s only an idea!) Or not to be too blunt about some software creations. Why? Why in my small design, no creation is perfect from the start but after several adjustments, ideas and opinions, that is “several heads are better than one” as you “feedback”. In conclusion, I agree with your method and I will strive to adopt it as well in my projects.
More Success …
Milton Ramos
November 16th, 2010 - 08:11
I couldn’t agree more with you Jonathan. I struggle with perfectionism, a lot, but like you said, it’s completely unnecessary to success.
But still there is something inside my mind that wants everything to be perfect. It’s most likely because of fear, at least for me.
Good stuff as always!
November 16th, 2010 - 04:14
All high achievers plan their work and work their plan, for they are keenly aware that “luck” is most often being prepared to take advantage of a situation.
November 16th, 2010 - 03:28
Jon – that’s an Agile way – appreciate and agree. There is a balance between poor quality and perfection, and there is a law of diminishing returns when it becomes time to release a product and get market feedback
November 16th, 2010 - 00:35
Hi Jon
Wow ! This was such a confirmation for me, since I just launched a site on the weekend and had told my pastor who is also in another business that I was launching it even though I still had things I wanted to incorporate. Here is a quote from the email I sent.
“But if I wait for everything it could take a while longer so since it is functional now I do not have to wait for perfection” I have learned that the root cause is…
Faith=action
Fear=perfection
Blessings
Kim
November 15th, 2010 - 23:03
Great post Jonathan. That’s exactly how I roll.
November 15th, 2010 - 21:56
Glad to hear you say it, Jonathan! I think people often wonder about your work ethics, many believing you to be a perfectionist, only now to hear it’s otherwise, and in fact now being able to realize that to get anywhere one needs to get away from trying to be a perfectionist, as it’s too time consuming! And indeed what you say is the essence of time management, how to get done more! The only way to be. Thanks!!
Tomas
November 15th, 2010 - 21:26
Great and really helpful post as always
November 15th, 2010 - 19:58
Great advice, Jonathan.
On you VHS example? It’s even better if you understand that Betamax (which is still the broadcast TV standard for video was already on the market and gaining traction. When VHS first came out it thought to myself, how silly. What can they hope to accomplish.? Sony already own the market with Betamax and beta is far and away a better quality recording standard. But VHS was “good enough” and VHS manufacturers just plain “out marketed” Sony … Anybody still have a Betamax player at home?
When Google fist came out in beta on the Web, I was working for the US government. We had a contract with AltaVista, the first search engine to claim 100% crawl of the entire ‘Net, for some specialized search projects. My boss asked me for a little backgrounder paper on Google and it’s possible implications to out future plans.
Wish I still had a copy to use to remind myself every day not to be close-minded. But I do recall using terms like, “Little chance of success, immature collegiate laboratory exercise, unlikely to be a factor in the “real” search engine market, etc.
Boy was I asleep at the switch, huh? And a good thing for all of us that Sergy and Larry ‘shipped” before attaining “perfection”.
November 15th, 2010 - 19:52
Nice post. You recalled my memory about an online game named Ragnarok Online 2 which was a very anticipated games for every gamers. The game never release because it’s not perfect or not as funny as RO 1.
Time passed and they missed the golden release time, people loose patience and went to play other games. Such a waste.
November 15th, 2010 - 19:12
Jon -
I’ve been pushing for professional instead of perfect for a long time.
Even professionals make mistakes. What makes the difference between folks is how they handle them once they are found.
Your release and feedback method is a practical approach. Too often I will edit the daylights out of something that no one will ever read. Now go figure how much “cents” that makes!
Good post. And I agree with Greg above, tell us what ministry you are involved with sometime. Sounds like it gets as much of your time as your software work does. Sweet.
Remember to be practical not perfect with that charming little family too.
November 15th, 2010 - 19:03
A truly excellent post Jon.
Many thanks,
Ade
November 15th, 2010 - 17:00
Yes Jonathan,
I have seen some client successes that looked pretty bad but they were good enough.
Designed to death, great description for bureaucracy.
Maybe share a little of your ministry with us sometime, I can see you are a man of integrity, esp. the technique you pulled there sometime back.
A refreshing change to the overload of dishonest people on this internet thing.
G.
November 15th, 2010 - 16:51
Jon, you are spot on with this post. Let the market tell you whether an idea will fly or not. Had google waited until it was “perfect” the Google brothers would still be in the garage in CA trying to get it right. Although no one wants an inferior product, your way of testing out an idea no a small group and letting “them” tell you what is good and bad about it saves alot of time in research AND trying to figure out what the final customer wants. Excellent post once again.
November 15th, 2010 - 15:23
Perfection is good until everything goes wrong. We have to be prepared to face the storms and just do the best we can with perfection
November 15th, 2010 - 15:03
OMG Jonathan! Have you been spying on me?!
Here’s the next big product for you… a strong antidote for perfectionism.
You know… where I can take 3 doses a day until I finally have the hang of it!
Thanks for these timely words.
November 15th, 2010 - 14:44
So true! Yet we all fall in that trap every now and then.
I too believe in this process:
1-Take action
2-check results
3- make corrections
Actually it’s the only way to real success.
Like blogging, many people wait to be 100% right on the mark BEFORE they do anything.
That is the recipe for failure – Guaranteed!
Another example is when people buy a course online and go through the whole course first thinking that they want to have “the whole” picture before they start…
Well we all know where that leads…never starting.
Once we’ve seen “the whole” thing, it seems to lose it’s magic…
That’s the point: there is no Magic…only action and feedback.
AND
of course…stick to it!
Thanks for telling people about the real way to success.
When I started doing that, my whole life turned around.
All the best
Francois
PS: Take action, get feedback…rinse and repeat!
November 15th, 2010 - 13:57
Hey Jonathon!
I really like the way you think! Not only is it timely, but it is also right on the mark!
Thanks so very much for your wisdom!
November 15th, 2010 - 13:38
Well said Mr. Leger, well said. I have often (and still do sometimes) tripped over the step of perfection and had it hold me back. I recently ran into this when I was trying to get some programming work done that I thought would improve my situation but in my attempt to “perfect” it I lost site of the goal. Fortunately I realized it in time and even though I lost money I got back on track with the imperfection that was none-the-less working!
November 15th, 2010 - 13:33
Jon, How true. I taught my journalism students that nothing is perfect and nothing is permanent. Don’t take your work too seriously. The precious words you write today could become wrapping for fish and chips tomorrow. A dose of humility comes in handy.
Blessings, Donna
November 15th, 2010 - 13:10
Jon I feel you on this one. I’m a perfectionist by nature and it’s a pain in the butt… like a disease really. I’m working on my 20th year in the Martial Arts and I remember early on I had an instructor that tried even my perfectionist patience! This guy would have you put your fist out and then he’d adjust it a fraction of a faction of a degree! It was maddening and he lost the school many students because of this.
On the flip side, my perfectionist nature gets me into some interesting projects. Recently while considering a product to promote I came across a web site with a fascinating product but absolutely horrible copy.. terrible. It looked like a Chinese jigsaw puzzle.. and it was as it turned out!
I was so frustrated that I wrote the webmaster. He wrote back asking me to help him clean it up because English was a second language for him and he desperately needed help. I think the guy IS Chinese! So, if I’m gonna complain… well, I ended up going word-for-word through his landing page making every correction I could think of. This led him to offering me a free spin of his product.. a super browser of sort.. and hopefully another Internet – found friendship!
The product? Automated Web Browser.
November 15th, 2010 - 13:00
Jonathan,
Your products are great. Whenever I’ve had a problem, your support desk takes care of it.
People will always whine. For many people, that’s all they know how to do. I’m watching it at Associated Content/Yahoo. It’s a new site, just revealed this morning, yet people are so damn impatient they can’t wait for the glitches to get ironed out. It’s annoying.
Keep up the good work, Jonathan.
November 15th, 2010 - 12:43
Hey Jonathan,
Your post is right on point. How many of us fail to take action because we’re loking for perfection. Is it the Nike Corporation’s slogan that says, “Just Do It!” Congratulations to you and your wife.
Thanks and God bless
November 15th, 2010 - 12:39
I’ve been a programmer for many years, mostly on IBM “midrange” computers. Several years ago I had an enlightening discussion with an IBM core developer. He told me about several studies they had done measuring the ROI associated with “striving toward perfection”. It turned out that there is a point – within a given business cycle – where profits drop off dramatically as the “goal” of “perfection” is approached. He showed me a graph that showed infinitely approaching flat lines that never crossed (you have to imagine two lines moving ever closer with the two lines never actually intersectiing).
He then turned me on to their newly adopted development philosophy of “good enough”. I argued for perfection, but he did not budge. It was interesting to say the least.
November 15th, 2010 - 12:11
Another great post Jonathan. I tend to do things the same way in my business and so far it’s working!
November 15th, 2010 - 11:59
This is a perfect post for online money makers like me. I have taken the print out of he following words- “Take action, gather feedback, improve it and keep moving.” and pasted it near my system to get more motivation towards my work. Thanks for motivating us, your beloved readers…
November 15th, 2010 - 11:48
I call this the Google approach, they tend to do this with a product before officially releasing it out of beta.
Another thing to consider is not re-invent the wheel…try to IMITATE, see what your COMPETITORS are doing, see what people are talking about competitors products, what they like and don’t like and implement the things they like! A way cheaper method than always asking your own customers for feedback.
Hope this helped.
- Mark
November 15th, 2010 - 11:47
Very good sharing and I realised the versions of your tools get updated really quickly, really good job. I have started using some of your tools and hopefully will get some great results flowing in soon.
Thank you so much! =)
November 15th, 2010 - 11:32
Hey Jon;
Upon opening your message and reading the first paragraph, I thought you had just read the ‘New Rich Manifesto’ and borrowed a line about “imperfection” from the author, but as I read on I realized that yours was a heartfelt message based on your own experiences (at least I interpreted it that way), and I wanted to provide you with a little feedback.
It’s a great post which I believe was an honest and down-to-earth narrative of living in a world where nothing is ever really perfect – even those things that we are supposed to believe are – and you have developed a method that works well for you in your business. It makes a lot of sense and I respect your honesty.
Thanks for sharing it.
TP-
November 15th, 2010 - 11:14
Ever noticed that “old advice” is often the best.
I agree with your observation that being first in a market is best.
Now, I’m not “shilling” this book, but Jack Trout and Al Ries published a book titled “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” in 1993. It’s old…but has “diamonds of Marketing Wisdom.”
The first law is “The Law of Leadership”, which states, “…It’s better to be first than to be better.”
“The basic issue in Marketing is creating a category you can be first in. It’s the law of leadership:
It’s better to be first than it is to be better
It’s much easier to get into the mind first than to try to convince someone you have a better product than the one that did get there first”
Ask yourself: Who was the first person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean solo?
Then ask yourself who was second? It was Beret Hinkler.” Who?
So, Jonathan, you’re right on, my friend…Great post…keep ‘em coming.
–Paul
November 15th, 2010 - 11:12
Jonathan,
There was this great “Friends” episode where some woman was about to deliver a baby in a restaurant. The ditsy blond takes over like General Patton. Telling everyone with authority what to do. When someone questioned her experience, she said, “Don’t worry. I’ve seen this done once before.”
You gotta love action!
Russell
November 15th, 2010 - 11:10
Having always been a bit of a perfectionist myself, I can really relate to this.
On the one hand, I know it slows me down, but on the other hand, it’s really hard to let go.
Nonetheless, great advice, provided that people don’t use it an excuse to publish crap.
Mark
November 15th, 2010 - 11:06
I tend to agree with you when it comes to software. Beta testing is a way to get great feedback as to whether or not the software is worth continuing, and to find the bugs that ultimately show up with thousands of lines of code…
But when it comes to site development, I should probably adopt the same approach. I am trying to develop a site within a particular niche of the financial industry. I think I found some good long tails that are getting a lot of searches but a low number of pages optimized for it.
I am researching it to death hoping that I am not wrong and not wind up like most websites that attempt to build a site in this particular arena of profitability. At the bottom of the search engine heap unless I spend thousands in advertising….
I just need to start my own beta testing and get the site “loaded up and out there”. I guess it goes to your point about perfection. In my case, I am letting “perfect be the enemy of the good”.
This is afterall the Internet. Not like you are spending thousands of dollars to test something. It is a website that can be had for cheap hosting fees and even a cheaper domain cost.. And who knows, it might just even work out in the end – lol…
Good post..
Robert C – The Wholesale Products Guy
November 15th, 2010 - 11:00
This post is definitely a feel good read to me. Its very inspiring! You just got to DO IT! Take action! Keep chuggin along and you will eventually reach your goal! Thanks Jon
Bob
November 15th, 2010 - 10:54
Great post. I agree with you Jon. Perfection almost kills the product before even landing on customer’s hand.
Simply follow speed to market principle.
Best wishes to you and your family.
Siddique
November 15th, 2010 - 10:52
Hi Jonathan,
This post reached my inbox at the PERFECT time! We’re in the midst of launching a brand new site/service, and definitely don’t want to fall trap to “paralysis by analysis”.
Thanks for the reminder, and we’ll definitely be using the “release -> feedback -> release methodology”. Thanks again!
Dwad
November 15th, 2010 - 10:51
I love it! That’s why a rocket works so well when it gets feedback and it can’t get feedback unless it’s a real object moving ahead. The designs we had 10 years ago are so different (most of the time) because people listened to feedback.
I have a friend who was going to make millions on a biometric credit card he developed but has now changed direction because he took too long to launch it (wanted it perfect) and the market for cards is changing to another system.
November 15th, 2010 - 10:49
So true, so real…
One of the greatest posts I’ve read.
I’ve been a perfectionist all my life, and IT HURTS! For so long I’ve been trying to find a cure, but I haven’t been able to find one. It’s worse than a drug, you get so addicted to it that there comes a point where you feel there’s “no way back”.
The worst part is that I’m aware of it. I know I’m a perfectionist, I know it’s bad, I know it’s preventing me from earning much more money, I know I’m wasting so much time in something that so many people will probably never care about (or at least that’s what I think, but will never know until I ask them), but yet, I can’t stop it. I really need help.
Can anyone help? Does anyone have a cure, a remedy, a solution or anything that can help me out of this perfectionism? Even a book or blueprint would be helpful, I guess…
Anyway, I wanted to post my problem just to endorse Jon’s article. I’m living proof that perfectionism is real and it hurts people’s income badly.
Thanks!
Sergio
November 15th, 2010 - 10:43
I wholeheartedly agree Jonathan! I remember a time when my husband got a phone call, late on a Sunday evening, from a client telling him he had to scrap his whole million dollar order…
Why?
Because a competitor beat them to the market.
The client?
IBM
It even happens to the big boys!
I find that the best iPad apps I am finding are from developers, and some very noted ones, that are NOT releasing perfect apps to the Apple App Store. They KNOW they aren’t perfect, but rather a work in progress. They are listening to their users, and tweaking the app as they go… one revision at a time… and these iPad apps are GREAT!
So while I am new to the market, I jump in headfirst, swimming, sometimes against the current, but always with forward momentum! My site might be far from perfect, but I am learning as I go, and intend to be around for a long while!
November 15th, 2010 - 10:39
People are not interested in what YOU have to sell…..they are only interested in what THEY want to buy!
Think about want they want to buy and mold your products around that concept, it works every time!
Brian Ankner (non-guru)
November 15th, 2010 - 10:20
Great post Jon
Your advise is seldom realized, always insightful.
Thanks
November 15th, 2010 - 09:47
Jon,
Great article! Coming from a programming and database design background, too many corporations get into the “Let’s get it right the first time” mentality. This leads not only to a much longer development time, and scope creep, but misses the most important part – feedback from the end-users.
Of course, testing goes out the window as well and then a very buggy, unwanted application is given. Then it starts all over again.
The philosophy that you have used is a much better way to do it and gives the end-users what they want. Thanks.
Patrick
November 15th, 2010 - 09:41
Hey Jon,
Great post,by the way! I like what Mike Litman said …..
“You don’t have to get right, JUST get it going” This has helped me so much. Not that I expected to get it perfect, I didn’t, but I wanted it to be TOOO…. “just right”.
I’ve learned to get some sites up, content posted, then tweak accordingly. Get some momentum going. Don’t sit back and watch
the game, get in the game.
Ron
November 15th, 2010 - 09:26
You hit the mark! I wasted months on my first website that was a flop. The next one I just put what I had and then started tweeking it from there. Customer feedback and stats will tell you the direction you need to go.
It sure is hard for a perfectionist to break the pattern though!
November 15th, 2010 - 09:25
Great blog post that I can only agree with. I worked for a Wall Street firm about a decade ago. They were trying to move a desktop client software onto the web for their analysts. What a disaster this was. People did not understand the Internet and so the development process was just painful.
I assume you do a lot of outsourcing to support your different products?! Can you write more about this eventually? Thanks.
November 15th, 2010 - 08:55
Great point, Jon.
I believe like you do that the biggest impediment to success is lack of action.
Get the damn thing out there and refine it based on customer’s needs and feedback.
November 15th, 2010 - 08:31
Jon,
Great reminder and excellent content. As a Software Engineer I have a real tendency to what to do “JOMBA” (as we call it) it is a terrible disease. It stands for “Just One More Build…Again” – and as you say, what happens it you fall into the trap of feature creep and never having it “just right”. Then someone else gets something to market and starts selling it. Luckily, I have a great wife who is more of a pragmatist herself and makes me see that: “We need this to start making money now!” – that is why she is the CEO and I am the “Principle Engineer”
.
-David T. McKee
November 15th, 2010 - 08:26
Great post!
The product example reminds me of the current speculation surrounding Google search, and what they may or may not do in the future. While some are researching and hesitating, speculating on the fate of long tail keyword domains in ranking, others are moving full speed ahead and capitalizing on the here and now.
He who hesitates is lost!!
November 15th, 2010 - 08:07
I could not agree more, being from the “Ready, Fire, Aim” school of thought.
Besides, Perfectionists make me crazy!
November 15th, 2010 - 08:06
Great Example! I remember the limited days of the laserdisc. Buying one never was an option for me based on the availability of either Sony’s tape or the VHS format.
November 15th, 2010 - 08:05
Thanks Jonathon,
I have a roommate that is working on patents. He is of the mind set that first out is the only way to go for the new technologies that are coming out.
Of course, I am on the marketing/web side of this and will follow the same path of “Just doing it”
November 15th, 2010 - 07:52
Right on target! I’ve found that when I go the perfection route that I end up with a poorer quality product. The spur of the moment, get and idea and run with it, usually yields better results.
Mark
November 15th, 2010 - 07:42
Guilty as charged along with other recovering perfectionists!
Funny how our education system seems to encourage perfectionism?
November 15th, 2010 - 07:13
Great – this is so true. I have spend literally months working on some projects to get things perfect, only to never release it because the opportunity window has closed. and i spend a couple of hours and throw something up there that made me a bunch of money.
I still get hung up on perfection sometimes – but now, I’m better at letting it go.l Thanks for reminding!
November 15th, 2010 - 07:07
I think that you are MOSTLY right. For those of us in the IM business, the process of overanalysis and perfectionism is the biggest hurdle to overcome, and often we fail. In fact, for me, this has, until recently, been the biggest problem.
But there are definitely applications where software has to be 100% perfect, or as close as posible. After all, you wouldn’t want to be part of a public beta for a heart monitor that was “good enough” – you’d want it to be perfect. Same thing with the software in the early spacecraft.
The problem is that all the tools and methodology we use in software development were developed by computer scientist, people who needed everything to be perfect, and thought that everyone else should strive for that same ideal.
But the reality is that perfectionism is a sliding scale – sometimes, you really must be perfect, and other times, “good enough” is actually better.
All in all, this is a very thought provoking article.
November 15th, 2010 - 07:04
Voila! Microsoft!
Can you say “Update”?
November 15th, 2010 - 06:56
Jonathan, how true! It has taken me a long time since leaving the corporate world to realize that perfection is not essential.
Get the job done and get it out there – if it flops then you have not wasted valuable time on it. If it moves then improve, based on feedback.
And I can’t count the number of good ideas I have had only to see someone else hit the market because I have spent too much time trying to get it perfect.
November 15th, 2010 - 06:51
There is no “perfect” time to do something. Another good example is Microsoft Windows OS. Microsoft always gets updates for its OS. It’s better to do something first than wait for the finished product.
November 15th, 2010 - 06:46
Indeed John,
Being perfect really gets in the way of success, it’s like trying to aim..aim..aim but then never shoot.
And that’s the worst that can happen as there’s no work ever completed.
Well great post John!
November 15th, 2010 - 06:37
I’ve wasted a lot of years planning, studying, even revising before anything was being done on a lot of online projects. Those always ends up being benched till further analysis and never gained momentum.
It wasn’t till I adapted and practiced this model that I started getting results and much needed momentum. I admit its not always natural for me but I found it essential in moving my projects forward.
Great post!
-Pablo
November 15th, 2010 - 06:36
I have made so man of these exact mistakes in my life. Nowadays I also “just do it” and fix according to critical comments later. Great post Jonathan!
November 15th, 2010 - 06:29
Excellent post. The crowd never lies. I just finished reading a book called “The Wisdom of Crowds,” and the author shows again and again how diverse crowds can quickly find a solution or the best method. Beta releases of software are examples of how much quicker a random crowd of end users can finalize the design of software better than any group of engineers.
November 15th, 2010 - 06:28
Hey Jonathan,
Great post about the dangers of perfectionism. It is a difficult tendency to overcome.
I think the fear of making a fool of yourself is just as bad and works hand in glove with perfectionism.
Breaking through and taking action is crucial, and ironically becomes a supporting mechanism for taking further action.
Best regards,
Stew
P.S, Looking forward to hearing how “Article Builder” is coming along.
November 15th, 2010 - 06:20
Hi Jon
Appreciated your post. I am an older person and somewhat of a perfectionist. Born in the wrong generation regarding technology. (69 years of age) Learnt a lot in the last year but striving for a perfect knowlege of Internet Marketing has been my main stumbling block.
Been reading everything about Click Bank, Video Marketing and a whole lot of other stuff like Camtasia, Artisteer, Photoshop Elements so I can build a wordpress site.. Suffer from Information Overload.
Not really knowing what Niche to follow, hence the reason for looking at Affilliate marketing. I operate a resort and for that I have been able to get listed on page 1 of google for many keword phrases, often in the top 3 positions.
November 15th, 2010 - 06:07
wow great post, very useful for those that are too scared to release a product incase it fails. You post just tells them to do it and get as much feedback as possible,
November 15th, 2010 - 06:04
Jonathan
Nicholas
I agree with your point – better to have something which is not perfect than nothing at all – which leads me to a question I have wanted to ask you for a while – but not had an opportunity – maybe until now
The question is this – what makes a perfect back link ?
I am interested in your personal opinion
Another question might be – does quality matter for a back link ?
If you assume that the back link is indexed in Google, and you have the correct anchor text you want, the links are different domains / class c ip addresses – does anything else really matter ?
Should we be looking for a perfect back link, or should we get any back link, or is there a good compromise?
Regards
November 15th, 2010 - 06:03
It is hard to be perfect alone.
It needs something from out of our mind.
November 15th, 2010 - 06:01
As we sat in our umpteenth meeting about the upcoming launch of our new product, your email pinged through. The timing was spooky, truly spooky.
Now I am sitting looking at the 20 or so post-it notes strewn around which list our ‘required’ perfections with a different perspective. They are ‘nice to haves’ and will come, but are not essential to getting SocialPiG out for beta testing. Our developer has confirmed we can begin testing tomorrow while he continues to do some development in the background, then it’s out for beta in a few more days….finally!
Thank you for this kick up the proverbial. Our fear of failure or of ‘rejection’ prevents us moving forward sometimes. Even when we launch a product, we know it will evolve over time so why not start the evolution process a bit earlier on and listen to our users!?! Then it will have a better chance of evolving into something people really want to buy!
Thanks again, Jon!
November 15th, 2010 - 05:50
Jon
As a developer myself – svery much true – and this is why smaller companies canb make money – they LISTEn when customers speak.
There is a direct line between the cost’s you spend to dev a product and the “space” you have to listen to a customer. Look at IBM early in the 90′s with OS2 – you recall?
Only issue – you go this route you must have the resources to change as customers request, cannot wait to long before “next” release is coming out – but I agree!
November 15th, 2010 - 05:49
Hi Jonathan
I totally agree with you. I also think that perfectionism can stifle creativity. I’ve seen it happen many times.
Perfectionism paralyzes people because it makes them frightened to make mistakes. Feeling free to make mistakes is an important part of being creative.
You have to be willing to stick your neck out. Creativity is not for the faint of heart. It’s for the bold and brave in spirit!
The trouble with perfectionism is that it ruins all that.
November 15th, 2010 - 05:47
Great post and I totally agree. I worked in software development for 12 years before I left to do internet marketing full time.
In the beginning we always used that dreaded long requirements collection and design process and by the time we had finished requirements had usually changed.
In the last few years I used a great development process called Scrum which was all about producing something basic with no bells and whistles in a short time like 2 weeks or a month, releasing it then making the improvements over time.
Much more flexible, productive and profitable.
November 15th, 2010 - 05:46
Well said and something I needed to hear today. I have the vice of being a perfectionist and it costs me dearly. Good enough is good enough!
Problem is that I ‘know” this but doing it is difficult. It is difficult to let go of that perfectionism.
November 15th, 2010 - 05:43
Hi Jon,
You are quite right. If i had a pound for every time i paused when i had developed something instead of releasing it i am sure that i would be a rich man by now.
Unfortunately, i seem to have the perfection gene in my makeup and need to find some thereapy to get rid of it so i can get on with making a decent IM income.
Mark
November 15th, 2010 - 05:41
Great post. Of course whilst trying to get that perfect product someone else release a less than perfect product and captures the market.
November 15th, 2010 - 05:36
Hey Jon,
Guilty as charged…..I confess – I have the dreaded perfectionist tendency….
But I’m learning to change…..it’s painful….
Regards
Greg
November 15th, 2010 - 05:32
I agree with what you are saying. I always thought that to put something out it had to be perfect but what I found is that it just delayed whatever I was trying to do. As you say, put it out there and you can always come back and make changes later. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
November 15th, 2010 - 05:30
Hi Jonathan,
I was surprised not getting updated articles, infos from your site…anyways i totally agree with you. Perfection must be something that we have to tend to, and the only way to reach perfection is to take action, and improve on the way
Cindy
November 15th, 2010 - 05:30
Hi Jon,
Well said, coming from a man who had tested it and seen it work. Thanks Jon, this is exactly what I wanted Jon.
Keep up the excellent work.
Warm regards
Charles.
November 15th, 2010 - 05:29
Jonathan,
I think the root problem is in that for many of us entrepreneur ‘types’…we’re perfectionists at heart, and so it takes a willingness to adapt our mindset, relinquish some control, and come to the realization that our endgame is best accomplished with a modicum of perfectionism, and a healthy does of action!
Thanks,
Doug
November 15th, 2010 - 05:29
I am seriously guilty of this when it comes to designing my blogs – I can spend an evening ‘tweaking’ a logo in Photoshop and probably nobody else would notice let alone care.
But then again I imagine the Mona Lisa started life as a simple ‘smiley face)
November 15th, 2010 - 05:28
Great post Jon.
There is no doubt that your method of product development works like a charm and it also makes a lot of sense.
Thanks
November 15th, 2010 - 05:25
Totally agree. That’s how I run my business as well. Get it out the door and then work through it.
Having a software / information business helps a lot, but this isn’t just about product creation. It’s about everything.
Drives my wife mad, since she can’t understand it, needing things to be perfect before taking action.
It’s frustrating for me when helping her, since I push things out the door before she’s even made her mind up whether to do something.
Aaron
November 15th, 2010 - 05:19
Hi Jon
You are very right with your view on perfectionism.
For me this was a long time hindrance, too.
It took me ages to release my product “WP TID generator” becuase I wanted it to be perfect instead of just very good (which I believe it is now…)
Thanks for the insight…
Mike
November 15th, 2010 - 05:16
Just in time, Jonathan !
I am just involved RIGHT NOW in the relaunching of an old site with a new service and product and the idea that your post give me is to put a place where I will receive feedback from my old customers about the new product.
the main idea I got from your post is :….Your customers will tell you where improvements need to be made. What you think people want is often not what they’re after …
Exactly. I will put on the hands of my current customers the new product and I will see. Thanks for the idea !
November 15th, 2010 - 05:12
Thanks Jonathan – This came in right now as I was working on perfecting the look of a Nanacast checkout page
Its almost like God tapped me on the shoulder and said “stop being a perfectionist” and used your email to deliver that message
Always love getting your emails mate!
Cheers – Dallas
November 15th, 2010 - 05:12
You have a 19yo daughter? should call you babyface leger! I thought from the pics i’ve seen of you that you were much younger than that!
Spot on with the release=>feedback=>release model. Henry Ford used black paint on the original fords as it was the quickest drying paint on the market. He would release the model so fast, take the feedback and release the newer model and that has been the model since.
Great post!
November 15th, 2010 - 03:27
Thanks for this article. Really true. I never thought of that angle.
Sometimes, I also waited longer to make something perfect…But, it’s also true…In this era, we need to be fast and competitive. We need to be the first in what ever is new. That’s very critical to brand ourselves.
Thanks again. Superb post.
November 15th, 2010 - 02:38
John,
You clearly have a model and system that works. More folks should try to be a “pragmatist”. Great post!
November 15th, 2010 - 02:26
As someone who has been a customer of yours for a couple of years, I would like like to see a bit more effort put into making your products even better. With the kind of money that you are taking in, I would think that you could hire a full time developer (or two) to work on improving your products.
November 15th, 2010 - 01:55
Hi Jon,
I like your style and methods. I use most of your products with very good results.
Keep up the great work!
Alexis.
November 14th, 2010 - 23:35
Jonathan,
This is a very good post and brings to light the exact position that so many of us find ourselves in.
This doesn’t only apply to software. Writing an ebook for publication has the same issues. When writing, one wants everything to be perfect when you issue your book, so it will help your customers as is. However, as you pointed out, the issues that you consider important are not always the same issues facing others, so it is impossible to be perfect the first time around.
As a result, many people just never get to put anything out into the market to sell. Instead, they keep on trying to perfect it, only to find that it never gets far enough to publish. This is probably one of the major reasons why so many people fail at internet marketing.
You hit the nail square on the finger:-)
I appreciate your thoughts on this. I am as guilty as many others.
Barry
November 14th, 2010 - 20:25
Jonathan,
Fantastic post!
I think your points are timely and much needed. You have no doubt heard the phrase “paralysis by analysis”. I think that happens a lot in all fields from business to ministry to just about every area of life.
Fortunately, I like the model where a product is released with regular updates rather than having a new version come out once a year or so and having to pay all over again.
What you’re writing about is something I call ‘the process model’. The benefits of this model are numerous. In it’s best form it allows for user participation and contribution. Secondly, the concept to development to release phase is shortened considerably which serves to keep you out in front of the customer.
All great benefits.
As always I appreciate the work you do.
Jw Ginn