The Perfectionism Paradox

"Perfection is the enemy of progress."

When investigating technological feasibility, loosely defined specifications ensure that the technology serves the user, not the other way around. Perfectionism can lead to delays in developing and launching new products and technologies. The pursuit of perfection can lead to a focus on small details and hinder progress toward larger goals. 

The successful launch of a new product depends on time and alignment with technology. So while perfecting the technology, you must ensure you don't make the process longer and more expensive. Otherwise, even if your competitor's product is inferior, this can give them an advantage.

“The caravan straightens on the road.”

One of our clients produces technological solutions for brands in the fast-fashion industry. We supported their creation of a product that streamlines with the customer experience and increases the conversion rates for companies. However, this product needed a great deal of data to train the machine learning models. While collecting data, we discovered other companies saw the same opportunity and were pursuing similar strategies.

In consultation with our team, they decided to capture the first-mover advantage, and they launched our product. While the technology was not perfect, getting to market before the competition captured a share of mind among customers. The influx of data shortened the training cycle of the algorithm and advanced the customer’s leadership position.

While striving for perfection may seem noble, it can often hinder progress and innovation, particularly in the fast-paced world of technology. Instead, focusing on improvement that prioritizes flexibility, adaptability, and user needs can help companies and developers stay ahead of the curve and bring new products and technologies to market more quickly. By embracing progress over perfection, companies can stay caught up and continue to meet the evolving needs of their customers.