Perfect ain’t always gud.
I was meeting with my collaborators, Bare Feet Studios,last week. We’re planning some really interesting things for 2006, moving full steam ahead in the Web 2.0 world - some of which may work, some may not. But, hey - no guts, no glory.
In talking about our strategies, joint marketing, targets, etc. - we came to the realization that one of our biggest issues is - ahem - our own perfectionism. Sure, we want whatever we do to be high-quality and high-value; but, we can also drive ourselves crazy with details that nobody else sees (or cares about.) This happens with all types of ideas and businesses - people spend so much time tweaking in the lab (or business planning) somebody else makes the splash and gets the VC funding, big contract, market momentum.
Yet, in today’s Web 2.0 world it’s okay (even cool) to throw things out to the market that are a little rough around the edges. One of the terrific benefits of doing business on the Web is the interaction and community. Sure, there are some folks that are waiting like rabid dogs to tear up anything just for the fun of it. But, for the most part there’s wonderful willingness to forgive a few bumps here and there. And, that perspective is rapidly spreading beyond the “tech geeks” to so-called “normal” business people. Example: Podcasting.
The bottom line: Regardless of the market or industry - we’ve all got to balance perfectionism with timing. One of my mantras is “Sometimes good enough really is good enough.” This doesn’t mean, however, you should aim for mediocrity or stop constantly striving for improvement. Yes, it’s often fine to be a little rough around the edges - but you’d better be “edgy” to start with or you’re doomed.
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January 5th, 2006 at 11:58 am
Reminds me of aspiring novelists who spend so much time doing “just one more edit” that they never get around to submitting the manuscript to a publisher! Sometimes it’s perfectionism but sometimes it’s just timorousness. Either way, what’s cool about the Web 2.0 world is how it pretty much requires you to take your courage in hand and stick your neck out there if you’re going to get anywhere.
This is not the environment for them as wants to sit back and let life happen to them. Good post, Mary!
January 5th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
And, it’s always good (in business and life) to do something that scares you on a regular basis. I, for example, took years to learn how to ski - and those steep slopes (on even the “easy” runs - yikes!) at Taos made me almost break into sobs - which woulda been really embarrassing in front of the 4-year-olds whizzing past me. (I don’t have an athletic bone in my body - and the bones I do have - I don’t want to break.) But, I kept trying. And, I’m also spreading cheer as I give my fellow skiers many hours of amusement watching me make my klutzy way down the mountain.
January 5th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
That’s what subsequent versions are for: Every year, car manufacturers release new models with upgrades. Next year’s running shoe models will be lighter and better than this year’s. Next year’s iPod will be better and cooler too.
The pursuit of perfection is about the journey, not the destination. At any rate, the only way that journey becomes relevant is when it is measurably incremental.
Great post.
January 6th, 2006 at 9:05 am
Corante Marketing Hub weekly wrap-up (aka, herding cats)
Corante Network contributors are coming back to their blogs from holiday hiatuses. Here’s a roundup of recent great posts that were not otherwise commented upon: Shel Holtz at a shel of my former self calls our attention to an attention-focusing…
February 12th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Updated update: Inexpensive content production could set marketers free…
This post from a few weeks back referenced Corante Network contributor Elizabeth Albrycht talking about the need many PR and marketing folks have to produce content that’s perfect, and how the rise of cheaper and faster content production can change…..