The Case For Perfectionism

Perfectionism these days is seen as something to be treated, the cause of procrastination, stress and burnout, a problem to be fixed.

There are many articles and books written on why perfectionism is a scourge and to be eradicated. However, I believe there is another side to this argument.

I want to make a case for perfectionism.

Now, I do accept that trying to make everything perfect may be a losing proposition. But as Product Owners, let’s think about it for a while before dismissing perfectionism altogether and settling for our products just being good enough.

There are many times when software has to be pretty much flawless, think about autopilot systems for example. Saying “well, it only fails one in one thousand flights” isn’t really going to be acceptable. Or mission-critical software for spacecraft where it is not so easy to just release a patch.

I know that most software is not as critical as the previous examples, however aiming for perfection in our design and engineering still matters. Every time someone tries your software for the first time they want it to work, Flawlessly. Every time your software does not function as expected the user gets an unsatisfactory experience and it does not take many of those before they stop using it.

If you are not convinced of the power of perfectionism on products and companies, then you need to look no further than the late Steve Jobs and Apple. Jobs had a resolute drive for perfection in every aspect of the products he created. The physical design, hardware and user experience were all carefully crafted to perfection.

I am not saying all Product Owners should try and emulate Steve Jobs, visionary billionaires are probably the only people who can get away with his legendary behaviour. However, I am suggesting that a focus on making our products as perfect as we can get them, and encouraging our teams to do the same, will pay off in the long run.

After all, no one ever pays the sort of money Apple charges for their products to have something “good enough”, no, they buy them and become lifelong fans because they believe they are the best and they are prepared to pay a premium. This made Apple the most valuable company in the world.

So the next time you find yourself saying that what you have is “good enough”, I invite you to take a moment and ask yourself if it is really “good enough” or could it be better? Perhaps even perfect?