The 70% Solution

When I started my career I spent hours agonizing over making something perfect. Getting that story just right. Making that ad text amazing, or revising wireframes over and over again. I didn’t want to make a mistake and I didn’t want to leave any room for complaint.

This is the most boneheaded way to work.

Now I approach my work in a simpler way. “We just have to do better than what we have.” I don’t even go all the way for the 70% solution. If I can spend a few minutes to make something better than what we have the price of failure is so low and the upside is so high that you almost can’t lose.