The Benefits of Launching Imperfectly

“If you set your bar at ‘amazing,’ it’s awfully difficult to start.” – Seth Godin

I recently rewrote the About page for this blog. I didn’t like the one that I launched with – it was vague and didn’t say much. In theory, I could have waited to launch the blog until I had a perfectly crafted About page… and I would probably still be working on it. In fact, I am sure that this About page is also not perfect, but it is better than the last one.

One of the most difficult things about starting any new project – whether a new product, new marketing program, or a new blog – is identifying when to launch. What does “ready” look like?

“Claiming that you need to ‘learn more’ or ‘get all of your ducks in a row’ can often be a crutch that prevents you from moving forward on the stuff that actually matters.” – James Clear

Today, growth hackers win. Waiting to be perfect means you’ll either A. never get off the ground, or B. someone will beat you to your market. The early birds might catch the worm, but they also give themselves more time to look for more worms if needed.

The concept of MVP, or Minimally Viable Product, applies to more than just product development. A Minimally Viable Product (MVP) has just those core features that allow the product to be launched, and no more. The product is typically released to a subset of possible customers, such as early adopters, who are thought to be more forgiving and more likely to give feedback, than the general population. Then based on customer feedback, the product is developed and updated over time into exactly what its target customers will love. It is a strategy designed to deliver a product that customers WANT… verses spending time up front designing something that they neither want nor need.

So this blog will continue to be a work in progress. I think the name is too long (I should ideally cut it down to two words), but it is functional for the time being. There is also a ton more work I could do on the site itself. But for now, I’m focusing on content and getting to know my readers. Ideas? Things you’d like to see or content you’d like to read? Tell me in the comments below or @RachelLColello.

Need more proof that launching imperfectly is the way to go? Read 10 things to stop caring about so you can actually launch your website