Nothing you ever create will be as good as you know it could be.

You might not possess the expertise, vision or resources to improve the work yourself further than it’s current state, but you — even if no one else is — are aware of the still-rough edges, the gaps, the deficiencies, and they’re the source of great distress.

Release it anyway.

This is why there are software updates, remastered albums and second edition books.

You’re challenge as a creator, someone striving to make a living by making a difference through their work, is to find the balance between creating something that is good enough to achieve the result you were shooting for when you set out, and getting it out the door.

In finding this balance, it’s essential to remember that you’re biased, influenced by your fear of what others will think if you release a half-baked, incomplete product that doesn’t do what you’ve promised it would.

The worst mistake at this point is to retreat further into your workshop and tinker to infinite, continually honing, perhaps even improving, but never releasing, never getting your work into the hands of the people it can help.

The antidote is to get feedback early and often. Bring aboard a small group of your intended audience and invite them into the process.

When you have the rough outline on paper, get feedback.

When you have the wireframe, get feedback.

When you have the prototype, get feedback.

When you have the beta version, get feedback.

When you feel like it might be getting close but just needs a few more tweaks, get feedback.

At this last point, it’s likely that you’ve reached the point where it’s time to release your Version 1, warts and all.

If you’re waiting for your to-do list on the project to finally reach zero, you’ll likely be waiting forever.

Even the very best first editions are released with a long list of improvements to be made. Nothing achieves perfection on the first try.

Your goal is not perfection. Your goal is to find the point where you can assess your work and say, “This will do, for now” and then release it to the wild.

If it resonates with your audience, you can get to work on Version 2, that same day if you want.

If it doesn’t, you’ve saved yourself the time and effort of tweaking something that was never going to land, and can get to work on something entirely new that might.

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