Should You Strive for Perfection or "Completion?"

So the question of whether a business person should strive for perfection or completion is an interesting one.  I'm taking a look at this from the unique perspective I have as being a full time entrepreneur for the last 2 years.  I will use my personal experiences to help support my theory that simply getting started and completing a product or project is more important than achieving perfection.

Let's look at the fact that many people have good ideas.  Great ideas are a dime a dozen.  A lot of people come up with great ideas that could make a huge impact on the world.  That's not a problem.  The problem is that most people never follow through and make those ideas manifest in the real world.  The ability to come up with an idea, concept, or product and see it through all the way to completion is rare.  This is why so few people actually make it in business.  Most people don't possess the discipline that it takes to conceptualize something and then make it happen. 

Now you may say that people may not want to conceptualize something and then release it to the outside world until it's perfected.  The problem with that is, that usually the amount of time that it takes to make something "perfect" is too long.  It may be that you've taken so long to "perfect" something that the idea is no longer valid.  If you wait too long, someone  else may come along and do what you wanted to do, but they did it first.  You were waiting to perfect something while they went out and made it a reality.

You can always "improve" an idea, concept, or product AFTER it's been released.  That happens all the time in business.  Simply take a trip down the aisle of your local grocery store and you'll see plenty of "New and Improved" items on the shelf.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with improving your ideas.  Just get started!  Don't wait.  Trying to perfect something before you release it doesn't make the best business sense.  Releasing the product or concept will allow you to get critical information from others.  You may even find out that something that you wanted to perfect is not what the marketplace wants at all.  Maybe you would work tirelessly to perfect something that will never be successful.  

I started many businesses that I'm sure that many people would have never started.  I didn't have the start up funds, didn't have the market research, etc. But, I started them, and I was in business.  My good ideas have a chance because I made it happen.  Today and right now is all you have.  Tomorrow is never promised.  I'm not saying start a business without proper planning and funding, but I am saying that you should get it started sooner rather than later.  Don't waste time trying to perfect something that can simply be improved upon after it's started.  Your thoughts?

Blog Post
Stephen Wicks, Founder
BlackBusinessList.Com

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