Progress Over Perfection

Velocity of information is far more important than perfection—perfection is an outcome, not a starting point

Elena Verna
10 growth tactics that never work

Progress Over Perfection

"Progress over perfection. I think that you just need to... The velocity of information is far more important than something that I think is perfect and perfection is an outcome that you get to. But progress over perfection all day, any day." - Elena Verna

What It Is

Progress Over Perfection is a life and work motto that prioritizes forward movement and learning velocity over getting things exactly right from the start. It reframes perfection as an outcome of iteration rather than a prerequisite for action.

This mindset is particularly important for growth roles where experimentation, failure, and rapid learning are essential to success.

How It Works

The Reframe

Traditional thinking: Get it perfect before shipping. Progress thinking: Ship to learn, iterate toward perfection.

Perfection isn't the starting point—it's what you eventually get to through many cycles of progress.

Why It Matters for Growth

Growth work inherently involves:

  • High failure rates (70-80% of experiments fail)
  • Rapid market changes
  • Imperfect information
  • Need for speed

Waiting for perfection means:

  • Missing windows
  • Learning slowly
  • Getting outpaced by competitors willing to iterate

Velocity of Information

Elena emphasizes "velocity of information" specifically. The faster you learn:

  • What works and doesn't work
  • What customers actually want
  • What the market rewards

...the faster you can iterate toward an outcome that actually works.

How to Apply It

  1. Ask "What's blocking progress?"

    • Is the blocker real or perfectionism?
    • What's the minimum needed to learn?

  2. Ship earlier than comfortable

    • Discomfort often signals perfectionism
    • The market teaches faster than internal review

  3. Set iteration expectations

    • V1 won't be perfect
    • Budget for V2, V3 upfront
    • Communicate this to stakeholders

  4. Measure progress, not polish

    • Are you learning?
    • Are you shipping?
    • Are you moving forward?

Connection to Growth Anti-Patterns

This motto directly opposes several anti-patterns Elena identifies:

  • Testing everything: Progress is blocked waiting for statistical significance
  • Thinking problems are unique: Progress is blocked by reinventing instead of building on patterns
  • Redesigns for perfection: Progress resets to zero while chasing an ideal

Source

  • Guest: Elena Verna
  • Episode: "10 growth tactics that never work"
  • Key Discussion: (01:30:25) - Life motto in lightning round
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

Back to Communication