Don’t let the perfect be the enemy is a powerful reminder that waiting for flawless conditions often means you never start. It’s about prioritizing progress and real-world results over an unattainable ideal. This mindset shift is crucial for moving from planning to actual doing.
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Meaning
At its core, this quote means that the pursuit of a perfect outcome can often prevent you from achieving a good, solid, and perfectly acceptable one. It’s the idea that insisting on the absolute best can be the very thing that stops you from getting anything at all.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times, both in my own work and with clients. You get stuck in what I call “analysis paralysis.” You’re so terrified of launching a product that’s only 85% perfect, or publishing a blog post that could be a little more polished, that you end up launching nothing. You get stuck. The “good” version—the one that’s functional, that works, that delivers value—is sitting right there, ready to go. But the ghost of “perfect” is standing in the doorway, blocking it. The real secret? Done is better than perfect. A good product in the market, gathering real feedback, will always, always beat a perfect product that’s still stuck in your head. It’s about momentum. It’s about learning by doing.
Quote Summary
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Origin & Factcheck
While Tim Ferriss popularized this phrase for a modern audience in his 2016 book “Tools of Titans,” the sentiment is ancient. It’s often traced back to the French writer Voltaire, who wrote, “Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien” (“The best is the enemy of the good”). Sometimes people mistakenly attribute it to Shakespeare or other figures, but its roots are firmly in that Enlightenment-era wisdom.
Attribution Summary
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 2016; ISBN: 9781328683786; Last edition: 2017 Paperback; Number of pages: 707 |
| Where is it? | Part III: Wealthy, Section: Habits and Progress, Approximate page from 2016 edition: 486 |
Context
In “Tools of Titans,” Ferriss places this quote squarely in the realm of high performers. He’s not talking to people who are lazy; he’s talking to driven, ambitious people who are their own worst critics. The context is about optimizing for success, and a key part of that optimization is cutting off the endless cycle of refinement that holds world-class performers back from shipping their work.
Usage Examples
This isn’t just a nice saying; it’s a tactical weapon against procrastination. Here’s how I use it:
- For a Marketer: Don’t wait for the perfect, data-backed, 100%-guaranteed campaign idea. Launch a good A/B test now and let the data guide you to a better version.
- For an Entrepreneur: Your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) doesn’t need every bell and whistle. Get the core, good-enough functionality out there, acquire your first ten customers, and iterate based on their actual needs.
- For a Writer: That article will never be perfect. Hit “publish” on the good version. You can always edit it later, but you can’t get readers for a draft that never sees the light of day.
It’s for anyone who has ever felt stuck starting something because the conditions weren’t “just right.”
To whom it appeals?
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FAQ
Question: Does this mean I should just settle for mediocre work?
Answer: Absolutely not. That’s the biggest misconception. It’s not about celebrating mediocrity. It’s about understanding that “good” is a stepping stone to “great,” while “perfect” is a dead end. You use the momentum from shipping the “good” to iteratively build towards excellence.
Question: When is it actually important to strive for perfection?
Answer: In areas where a tiny error has catastrophic consequences. Think: heart surgery, aerospace engineering, or the code for a financial transaction system. But for probably 95% of our daily work and projects, the 80/20 rule applies—the “good” gets you 80% of the results with 20% of the effort.
Question: How do I know when ‘good’ is good enough to ship?
Answer: Set a clear, predefined benchmark before you start. Ask: “What is the minimum set of features that delivers the core value?” or “What is the core message of this piece that must be communicated?” Once that benchmark is met, it’s time to ship. Your audience and the market will then tell you what to improve.
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