If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve probably waited way too long to get it out the door. It’s a powerful, counter-intuitive nudge to stop polishing and start shipping, because real-world feedback is what truly builds something great.
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Table of Contents
Meaning
The core message is brutal but simple: Imperfection is a feature, not a bug, of a successful launch. Your initial offering shouldn’t be perfect; it should be out in the world.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen so many teams, brilliant teams, get stuck in this loop. They keep adding one more feature, fixing one more tiny bug, redesigning the login page for the tenth time. They’re terrified of being judged. But here’s the thing I’ve learned the hard way: that initial embarrassment? It’s a sign you’ve cut through the noise of your own ego and finally listened to the market. You’re not building in a vacuum anymore. The goal isn’t to launch a masterpiece; it’s to launch a conversation starter. The real product gets built in collaboration with your users, not in isolation. Waiting for “perfect” is a surefire way to build something nobody wants.
Quote Summary
Reading Level70
Aesthetic Score74
Origin & Factcheck
This gem comes from Tim Ferriss’s 2016 book, Tools of Titans, which was published in the United States. It’s often, and understandably, misattributed to Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, because he’s famously said something almost identical. The spirit is the same, but the specific phrasing is Ferriss’s.
Attribution Summary
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 2016; ISBN: 9781328683786; Last edition: 2017 Paperback; Number of pages: 707 |
| Where is it? | Part III: Wealthy, Section: MVP and Launching, Approximate page from 2016 edition: 490 |
Context
Ferriss placed this quote in a section dealing with fear and inaction. It’s not just business advice; it’s a life philosophy. He’s talking to world-class performers who all have one thing in common: they took the first step, however messy, instead of waiting for the perfect conditions that never arrive.
Usage Examples
So, who is this for? Honestly, almost anyone creating anything.
- The Startup Founder: Stop waiting for the “complete” app. Launch with your core feature, get 100 users, and let them tell you what to build next. Their feedback is worth more than 100 hours of your speculation.
- The Content Creator: That blog post or YouTube video doesn’t need to be Oscar-worthy. Hit publish. Your first ten videos will be a bit cringe, and that’s how you find your voice and your audience.
- The Artist or Writer: Staring at a blank canvas or page? Create something, anything, and put it out there. The first draft is supposed to be bad. The magic happens in the edits, but you need the raw material first.
To whom it appeals?
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FAQ
Question: Doesn’t this justify shipping a terrible, broken product?
Answer: Absolutely not. It’s about shipping a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), not a “Minimally *Viable*” one. The core functionality must work. The embarrassment should come from it being basic or lacking polish, not from it being fundamentally broken or unethical.
Question: What if I’m in an industry where mistakes are costly, like healthcare or finance?
Answer: Great point. The principle still applies, but the “first version” is a prototype, a limited beta, or an internal pilot. You’re still getting it in front of a small, safe group for feedback long before a full public launch. The cycle is just tighter and more controlled.
Question: How do I get over the fear of being judged?
Answer: Reframe it. See the launch not as a final exam, but as the first day of school. You’re there to learn. The judgment you’re so afraid of? It’s actually data. It’s the most valuable data you’ll ever get for making your product better.
Question: Is there a time when you *shouldn’t* follow this advice?
Answer: If your “version 1” has a high probability of causing significant physical, financial, or reputational harm, then yes, pause. But for 95% of us, the risk of shipping something a little rough is far lower than the risk of shipping nothing at all.
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