Lead with Progress, Not Perfection

#ShoryuWill Newsletter #17 By William Zhang

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What This Edition Will Cover:

• Why perfectionists are more likely to stall their business growth
• Why people want to hang around with just someone, but not anyone else
• Mindset shift and AI Tools that can help
• 3 Book recommendations to enhance your growth
• 1-2-3 Punch to get you to the next level of success

Have you ever been so caught up in making something perfect that you ended up never finishing it? It’s a common trap, especially for high achievers and entrepreneurs. Today, I’m going to talk about how letting go of perfectionism and focusing on progression can unlock success, just like it did for Steve Jobs and Apple.

The Common Problem and Why It is Important

We all have a little bit of perfectionism inside us. It makes us feel like if we just tweak this one more thing, everything will be flawless. But here’s the reality: perfectionism stalls growth. When you’re waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect product, you end up delaying action. And in business, action is everything. Perfectionism creates a bottleneck, preventing you from launching, iterating, and scaling your business. Every second you spend refining something that’s already "good enough" is a second wasted when your competitors are out there making moves, learning from the market, and improving their offerings.

Think about it—how often have you delayed launching a project because it wasn’t ready? How many opportunities did you miss waiting for the perfect conditions? Progressionists, on the other hand, push forward, even if things aren’t flawless. They know that they can always improve along the way. It’s the reason why businesses that focus on progression over perfection grow faster and learn quicker.

Proof of Concept

Take Steve Jobs and the early days of Apple. When Apple was developing the first iPhone, the product was far from perfect. The original iPhone had several flaws, including issues with the touch screen, battery life, and even its functionality as a phone. But Jobs knew they couldn’t afford to wait until it was flawless to launch. He famously said, “Real artists ship,” meaning you have to get your product out there, even if it’s not perfect. By releasing the iPhone, Apple was able to get real-world feedback, learn quickly, and iterate on the product to make it better. Imagine if Jobs had waited until everything was perfect—Apple might have missed out on creating one of the most successful products in history.

Where We Went Wrong

I’ve been there myself—waiting too long to pull the trigger on a project because I wanted everything to be perfect. One particular project sticks out in my mind where I spent so much time refining small details that I missed the bigger picture. I delayed launching because I feared it wasn’t ready, but in hindsight, I was simply afraid of how it would be received. What I’ve learned is that you don’t need perfect; you just need to start.

Why the Problem Was Challenging to Resolve?

The real challenge with perfectionism comes down to time and fear. You spend endless hours tweaking, refining, and polishing something that no one will ever see if you don’t release it. There’s also the human element—fear of failure, fear of judgment, and even the fear of not living up to your own high standards. These things make perfectionism tough to break because it feels like you're protecting yourself by waiting for everything to be flawless. But the reality is, the world rewards those who act, not those who wait.

Why It’s Easier to Resolve Now

Fortunately, in today’s world, it’s easier than ever to move forward without being perfect. Thanks to rapid feedback systems, agile methodologies, and powerful AI tools, you can launch something, test it, get feedback, and improve it in real-time. In fact, perfectionism doesn’t have the same weight it used to—people appreciate authenticity and speed. Look at Apple again: after the initial iPhone launch, they made constant updates, releasing new versions every year. Each one wasn’t perfect, but each one was better than the last. Progression is what made Apple what it is today.

The New Thing That Makes It Solvable at Low Cost but High Returns

AI has made it easier than ever to iterate quickly and at low cost. Tools like ChatGPT, Zapier, and Monday help automate processes, giving you real-time feedback and allowing you to make improvements faster. For instance, you can now launch a product or service, gather customer data instantly, and adjust your offering without the huge cost of waiting for perfection. Speed is the new currency in business, and AI tools allow you to move faster, reducing the cost of waiting and increasing the returns on early action.

What Knowledge, Experience, and Network You’re Missing (and How to Fulfill It)

To become a progressionist like Steve Jobs, there are three critical areas you need to focus on developing—knowledge and experience Mastering these areas will help you move faster, iterate better, and build a support system that values action over perfection.

It’s essential to equip yourself with the right frameworks and tools to make swift decisions and improve continuously. One of the best ways to do this is by adopting agile principles. Agile isn’t just for software developers—it’s a mindset you can apply to any business or leadership role. It’s all about rapid iteration, constant feedback, and adaptation. Unlike traditional methods, where you plan everything out from the start, agile encourages you to launch quickly, get real-time feedback, and make small, continuous improvements. It’s exactly what Steve Jobs did with every version of the iPhone—launch, learn, improve.

How to Fulfill It (Step-by-Step)

• Learn Agile Principles: Start by reading books like "Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time" by Jeff Sutherland or taking online courses that teach the basics of agile project management. You don’t have to become a certified agile coach, but understanding the core principles will help you implement them in your business.
• Gather Feedback Quickly: Once you understand agile, apply it to your projects. Start small—launch a service or product, even if it’s not perfect, and gather feedback from your customers or team. This process will teach you what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to adjust quickly.
• Use Tools: Incorporate tools like Monday or Trello to track progress and collect feedback as you iterate. These platforms are built to support agile workflows, making it easier for you to manage ongoing projects and stay nimble.

2. Experience:

One of the hardest but most rewarding parts of being a progressionist is embracing failure as a stepping stone to success. Steve Jobs didn’t hit home runs every time. Remember Apple’s Newton PDA? It was a complete failure. But he didn’t let that stop him. Instead, Jobs learned from it, and those lessons later contributed to the success of products like the iPhone. The point is, you must become comfortable with failing forward. The sooner you try, fail, and learn, the faster you’ll grow.

How to Fulfill It (Step-by-Step):

• Launch Imperfect Products: Pick a project or task you’ve been delaying because it’s not “perfect.” Set a strict deadline for yourself and launch it as it is. Yes, it might not be flawless, but the feedback you get will be invaluable. The most important lesson here is: done is better than perfect.
• Embrace Post-Mortems: After each launch or project, take time to reflect. What went well? What didn’t? Conduct a post-mortem analysis, either on your own or with your team. Write down specific lessons learned from your failures so that you can avoid them in the future.
• Apply the Lessons: Don’t just acknowledge your mistakes—apply the lessons immediately to your next project. This way, every failure turns into an experience that accelerates your growth.

Final Words:

Being a progressionist isn’t just about getting things done—it's about leading with momentum, just like Steve Jobs did with Apple. You don’t have to be perfect to make an impact; you just have to move forward. Every step you take, every product you launch, every decision you make—even if it’s not perfect—brings you closer to success. Trust yourself, use the tools at your disposal, and don’t be afraid to release something that isn’t flawless. The world doesn’t need perfect—it needs leaders who are willing to take action.

3 Book Recommendations:

1. "Fail Fast, Fail Often: How Losing Can Help You Win" by Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz
2. "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson – Get inside the mind of one of the greatest progressionists in history.
3. "Dare to Lead" by Brené Brown – Learn how vulnerability is the key to effective leadership.

1-2-3 Punch:

1 Quote: “Real artists ship.” – Steve Jobs

2 Questions:

Where am I waiting for perfection and missing out on opportunities?

How can I start taking action today without needing to be perfect?

3 Actions:

Set a deadline for launching one project you’ve been delaying.

Use an AI tool to automate one task that’s slowing you down.

Reach out to a mentor for advice on taking action instead of waiting for perfection.

Reminder to Subscribe:

Enjoyed this edition of #ShoryuWill? Don’t forget to subscribe and share this with someone who needs to hear the message of progression over perfection. Let’s keep growing and moving forward together!

Your friend,

William Zhang