Progress Over Perfection

Back in the year 2010, while managing a portfolio of accounts in the UK, I encountered a significant challenge with one of my largest clients. The conventional project management approach, with finite start and end dates and fixed budgets, was forcing project managers to compromise on Test Automation and Performance Testing. Project managers struggled as tool costs outweighed the budget, and there was no centralized tool pool that they could tap into.

After numerous whiteboard sessions with client stakeholders, a breakthrough model emerged. All our testing resources would come fully equipped with access to all the necessary tools, and the usage of the specific tool would be dictated by project requirements, and not by the budget constraints of the individual project. We (the vendor) would purchase a bouquet of tools under a multi-tenant ELA, deployable on-demand across this customer and others globally. The customer agreed, understanding that a marginal fixed uplift on hourly/daily rates across all our resources independent of the actual usage of the tool, was a small price to pay for comprehensive testing and quality code in production.

However, the twist in the story came when the customer was not ready to commit to a volume, a critical factor for us to breakeven. I presented the business case to my CEO and told him that I was fully aware that the model is not perfect and we had exposure to commercial risk. He green lighted the investment based on trust in my instincts and reasoning that downstream benefits (commercial and otherwise) far outweigh the risks. Had we aimed for perfection, we might have missed the opportunity to solve a real problem and gain visibility in the client's boardroom. In the end we made a 300% ROI across clients on a multi-million investment (CapEx) on the Tools ELA licenses.

In most cases, it is beneficial to focus on progress over perfection. While aiming for perfection isn't inherently wrong, focusing excessively on perfection has downsides. The drawbacks include missed opportunities, delayed actions, and an aversion to taking calculated risks.

In both professional and personal life, the mantra of progress over perfection holds true. The focus on progress leads to tangible results. Accepting imperfections aids in stress reduction, offering indirect health benefits. Striking the right balance and understanding that progress is a continuous journey while perfection is often an elusive destination can be a transformative mindset in navigating the complexities of the modern world.

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