BusinessWeek has an article “Why ‘Good Enough’ Is Good Enough“, with the premise that “imperfect technology greases innovation — and the whole marketplace.”
I’m known for saying in my keynote speeches that “perfection is the enemy of innovation.” Why? Perfection is expensive, unattainable, time consuming and limits flexibility — a quality needed for innovation.
However, be sure that the “good enough” mantra doesn’t become misunderstood as an excuse for poor quality in areas where quality matters to customers.
My friends from consulting firm Innosight say it best: release a 1.0 version of a product that is “good enough where it has to be, better where it needs to be” (for the consumer job to be done). And then improve the product based on feedback from consumers in the marketplace.
Or as H. Jackson Brown, Jr. said it:
“Some things need doing better than they’ve ever been done before. Some just need doing. Others don’t need doing at all. Know which is which.”
