Why perfection nearly killed my first business
Picture this: you’re standing at the edge of a pool. The sun’s blazing, your toes are gripping the edge, and the water looks perfect. But instead of jumping in, you’re standing there, overthinking.
“Is this the right time? What if the water’s too cold? Should I adjust my dive to make it look better?”
Meanwhile, a kid cannonballs right past you, soaking everyone in a five-foot radius. Guess what? That kid isn’t worried about perfection—they’re just taking action.
Now, swap the pool for your business. Sound familiar?
The Trap of “Perfect”
The number one killer of dreams? Waiting for perfect. Perfect timing. Perfect circumstances. Perfect plans.
Spoiler alert: perfect doesn’t exist.
Entrepreneurs get stuck here all the time. They obsess over tweaking the business plan, rehearsing the pitch, or endlessly adjusting that logo color (”Is it red enough? Too red?”). All while their competition is out there, making moves and figuring it out on the fly.
It’s like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without opening the box—you’re not going anywhere.
Messy Action Builds Empires
Let me tell you about my first business—Mark Evans, the teenage gutter guy. I wasn’t some polished entrepreneur with a fancy degree or a trust fund. Nope. I was a scrappy kid with a ladder strapped to a beat-up truck and a burning desire to figure things out.
My pitch? It was simple: “Your gutters look like a jungle—let me fix that.” My systems? Nonexistent. My tools? Whatever I could afford (or borrow). But here’s the kicker: I didn’t sit around waiting to have the perfect logo, website, or business plan. I just started.
I knocked on doors. Some slammed in my face. Others politely said, “No thanks.” But a few? They said yes. And with every gutter I cleaned, I learned something—how to hustle, how to talk to customers, how to deliver value.
Before long, I had built a six-figure business. Not because I had all the answers, but because I took messy, imperfect action every single day. That’s where momentum is born—not in waiting, but in doing.
Why Waiting Costs More Than Messing Up
Waiting feels safe, but it’s expensive.
Opportunities pass you by: While you’re perfecting, someone else is landing the client you’ve been eyeing.
Momentum stalls: The longer you wait, the harder it is to get started. Inaction kills energy.
You miss the lessons: Failure is the best teacher. But if you’re not taking risks, you’re not learning anything new.
Think about Amazon. When Jeff Bezos launched it, it wasn’t the well-oiled empire we see today. It was an online bookstore with a clunky website. But Bezos didn’t wait for it to be perfect—he built the plane while flying it. The rest is history.
The Real Secret: Start Ugly, Finish Beautiful
Imperfect action isn’t reckless—it’s strategic. It’s about saying, “I’ll figure it out as I go,” instead of waiting for the stars to align.
Here’s why it works:
You learn faster by doing: Action reveals what works and what doesn’t. Planning doesn’t.
Momentum creates clarity: Once you start moving, the path becomes clearer. It’s like headlights on a dark road—you don’t need to see the whole highway to start driving.
People value results, not perfection: No one remembers the hiccups if you deliver value.
How to Start Taking Imperfect Action
Ready to get off the sidelines? Here’s the game plan:
Ditch the “what-ifs”: Stop worrying about what could go wrong. Focus on what could go right.
Set a tight deadline: Give yourself 48 hours to launch, send that email, or make the call.
Celebrate progress: Even small wins stack up. A $1 win today leads to $1M wins down the road.
Embrace the mess: Mistakes aren’t failures; they’re stepping stones.
A Personal Challenge for You
Think about one thing you’ve been putting off because it’s “not ready yet.” Maybe it’s launching a product, reaching out to a mentor, or posting that first piece of content.
Now, commit to doing it—imperfectly—today.
Yes, it’ll feel uncomfortable. Yes, it might flop. But that’s how you learn, grow, and ultimately win.
Final Thoughts
Perfection is a myth, and the pursuit of it is just an excuse to delay action. Every successful entrepreneur you admire didn’t wait until they had all the answers—they started with what they had and figured the rest out along the way.
So stop standing on the edge of the pool. Take the leap. Make the splash.
Because here’s the real secret: success doesn’t come to those who wait—it comes to those who move.
Now go make something happen.