No. 148 · Work · General Thinking
Perfect is the Enemy of Good
Waiting for the ideal can cost you the useful.
In the Almanac
“The cult of the imperfect”, 1935–1940 · “Duke Nukem Forever”, 1997–2011
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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What is Perfect is the Enemy of Good?
Perfect is the Enemy of Good means that waiting for the ideal solution can block a good one that would already create value. Endless polishing costs time, money and opportunities, and sometimes means the work never ships at all.
How do you use Perfect is the Enemy of Good?
Use it by defining good enough before you start, choosing the workout you'll actually do and starting with a reasonable money plan. Just recognize the tasks, like safety-critical work, where near perfection truly matters.
When does Perfect is the Enemy of Good matter?
Perfect is the Enemy of Good is one of the 43 mental models for work, the situations where you ask: How do I get the right things done? Within that, it belongs to “Finishing, not polishing”, alongside Hofstadter’s Law, Minimum Viable Product and Mythical Man-Month.
What is an example of Perfect is the Enemy of Good?
Two stories show it at work: The cult of the imperfect (1935–1940) and Duke Nukem Forever (1997–2011). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Perfect is the Enemy of Good?
Satisficing, Minimum Viable Product and Premature Optimisation. Perfect is the Enemy of Good itself comes from general thinking.