19) Progress Over Perfection

Something is better than nothing.

Years ago, I was sitting in my former CEO Steve’s office, excitedly walking him through a project I wanted to lead. I explained all the moving pieces—how I’d rally the team, collaborate with the client, and line everything up so conditions were just right. I even joked that the stars needed to align and world peace had to be achieved before I could begin.

Steve paused, looked at me bewildered, and said something that has stayed with me ever since:
“Milind, you’re so focused on making everything perfect. Just start. Let it come together as it happens.”

That moment shifted the way I thought about progress.

Because here’s the truth: an idea in your head, no matter how brilliant, isn’t worth much if it never sees the light of day. Like the old thought experiment of a tree falling in the forest—if no one experiences it, did it really make a sound?

Perfectionism can quietly kill ideas before they’re born. But if we recognize it for what it is—a barrier, not a standard—we can move forward anyway. Here are five perspectives that have helped me reframe perfectionism:

1. Perfectionism isn’t perfect. If it’s stopping you from taking action, it’s not helping—it’s holding you back. Notice it, call it out, and move around it.
   

2. The world doesn’t need “perfect.” Most of the time, people don’t need flawless—they need something to get started. Sometimes all it takes is a sketch on a napkin, not a 50-page playbook.
   

3. Redefine your threshold. What if 75–80% is “perfect enough” to move forward? The rest may come to life through collaboration, iteration, and ideas you couldn’t have discovered alone.
   

4. Know what really matters. Not everything deserves perfection. In baseball, even the greatest batters fail 70% of the time. Yet they’re celebrated because they show up, swing, and deliver when it counts.
   

5. Extend yourself grace. Missing the mark isn’t failure—it’s part of the process. Beating yourself up doesn’t serve you. Learning, adjusting, and moving forward does.

   

The irony is that even as I wrote this article, I wrestled with perfectionism. Was this the right word? Should I change the font? Am I missing something important?

Then I remembered Steve’s advice. I stopped overthinking and simply wrote.

Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress. And progress, when shared, is far more powerful than a “perfect” idea stuck in your head.