The Myth of ‘Perfect Product’ Before Launch

Published September 22, 2025

Perfection is a stall tactic (ask me how I know)

“Just one more feature.” “One more refactor.” “New logo?” You know the drift. Weeks vanish, confidence doesn’t budge, and the user count stays… theoretical.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: polish hides uncertainty; shipping reduces it. Shipping also makes you a little sick to your stomach. That’s normal. That’s the point.

Define ‘good enough’ in writing (before you get precious)

Pick a target outcome users can achieve in under 10 minutes. Write a mini contract:

One job to be done the product can genuinely complete
One narrow audience who really feels that job
One feedback surface (email, in-app, Discord) you promise to watch daily
Two follow-up experiments you’ll run within 7 days of launch

If the above is true, it’s launchable. Not pretty, not proud—launchable.

Scope like you’re allergic to bloat

Cut any feature that doesn’t help the user reach the first outcome
Hardcode the weird stuff
Manual process behind the scenes? Fine for v0. (Robots can wait.)
Defaults over settings. Pick for them. You can add toggles later

Ship a thin slice that actually gets someone to “aha,” not a wide slice that looks impressive and does nothing.

The first 7 days after launch (what to actually do)

Talk to five users who tried—and failed—to get value. Fix one blocker a day
Add one in-product nudge exactly where folks stall
Publish a changelog note every other day. Momentum is marketing
Compare your promise to reality. If they don’t match, change the promise first

Distribution isn’t a side quest

No one finds a quiet, perfect product. Get loud in small, useful ways:

Two niche communities that actually care (be helpful, not spammy)
One partner with overlapping users (guest post, co-demo, a joint tweet)
A tiny content wedge that can eventually rank competitive keywords

Let the early edges compound while you iterate.

What perfection really costs

Time you could’ve spent learning from the market
Motivation (shiny turns to sludge, fast)
Optionality—because you locked into a guess instead of testing a slice

Truth: your taste improves with reps, not drafts. Launch creates reps.

Final note

Launch earlier than feels comfortable, then iterate like a craftsperson. You’ll move faster, learn faster, and—surprise—build something people actually use.

If you want lightweight launch checklists and accountability to ship the next slice, come hang out at Indie10k. We bias for action, then improve together.