When my company launched a community feature for our clients a few years ago, we made some incorrect assumptions in our messaging that derailed the success of the campaign. But when our creativity failed, instead of learning from our mistakes, we made an even bigger mistake: we abandoned our efforts altogether. The truth? We were perfectionists trying to cope with a very public failure. But instead of repeating our campaign to improve it, we let it die.

They say perfection is the enemy of progress and I have seen this play out both in my career and with many entrepreneurs. No matter how brilliant an offer, the pressure to get everything only entitlement can often delay – or completely derail – a launch.

Perfectionism is well known enemy of productivity, The root cause of many psychological disorders and a common answer to the interview question, “What is your biggest weakness?But while we recognize perfectionism as an obstacle to progress (and I certainly do), why do so many creative and innovative people still fall into its trap?

Perfectionism may not be a new obstacle, but it is is increasing – and not only with entrepreneurs. A culture of competitive individualism, amplified by social media, puts pressure on us all to be perfect and can seriously damage our ability to succeed in business. In fact, it almost certainly guarantees failure.

The reality is that we all need to be able to take risks – and fail – in order to improve our work. Embracing the value of imperfection is the only possible way to get there.

Perfectionism can be downright harmful

As a cure perfectionistNow I understand that perfectionists are more than just hard achievements. They may become obsessed with meeting extremely high standards and unrealistic expectations. They can even be very self-critical and fear of criticism from others. And yet many go about their entrepreneurial journey comparing themselves to those who have already hit it big, blind to any mistakes those role models made along the way.

Almost every entrepreneurial success story is built on the backs of countless failures – and many entrepreneurs are famous for it. But I have personally witnessed how striving for perfection from the beginning does not lead to a successful bid. In fact, the results can be the opposite: no release at all. Perfectionism often it holds back would-be entrepreneurs and creators from sharing their unique genius with the world and bringing a finished product to market. However, there are ways to overcome it. And I should know: I'm still working on getting over it myself.

Fail small, win big

After communities started failing (which, fortunately, was small in the grand scheme of things), I learned an invaluable lesson: the best way to handle failure is to examine it, embrace it, and use it to improve. not hiding. from her and pretending that it didn't happen.

Nowadays, we approach our launches in very different ways – in phases that allow us to test the waters, get feedback from our customers, and iterate on our approach and messaging until it's just right.

Making mistakes is par for the course in business, but learning from them and course-correcting is the only way to turn them into a net positive. Many of the most successful creators go a step further and publicly share their failures. That's what Patreon CEO Jack Conte calls it normalization of dudsand his approach is pure storytelling genius: a balance of humility and humor that makes his failures feel like a true work of art.

Getting past perfectionism

As a recovering perfectionist, I know that embracing imperfection is easier said than done. We are all operating within a hyper-competitive and often unforgiving business climate where every move (especially wrong moves made publicly) can be mercilessly analyzed and criticized. We've all seen the creepy effects cancel the culture there are over individuals and businesses that have made irreparable mistakes.

Moving past perfectionism means deliberately taking calculated risks and making bad mistakes right in the development process. Here are some strategies we use to make that process more enjoyable:

• Connect with a community of peers: Sharing imperfect work is easier when those around us are doing it too. Connecting with one community of entrepreneurs in trial and error mode is the best way to see that you are not alone. In fact, by becoming an entrepreneur, you are part of a group of people in the business of overcoming failure. Whether you find that group through a co-working space or a software-related community, look to others who can accept critical feedback and let it inform progress.
• Adopt a Coaching Mindset: Reminding yourself that no one is perfect is helpful because even seasoned experts make mistakes. Redefining how I perceive failure (and success) meant renaming missteps as an opportunity to repeat. You can even rewire your brain to appreciate critical feedback for the gift that it is.
• Look beyond the launch: Product, campaign or company launches often create an intensity that brings out your best work, but leaning too much into them can lead to disappointment – especially if the results don't meet your expectations. I often tell my team not to put too much creative energy into something that will likely need to change once it's on the market. Even if it's flawed, I know we'll learn something once it goes live that will enable us to improve it.

The truth is that we all have moments of insecurity. But no matter how uncomfortable it is to put your creative work out there for judgment, the reality is that people will judge it whether you think it's perfect or not. Accept this fact, let yourself go and don't let the idea of ​​perfection stop you from sharing your unique genius. After all, it's better than perfect.