In agile product development is very hard to have the best product right away, so commit to rapid and continuous improvements is the way to go. Of course, the messiness of trial and error may seem uncomfortable, but action allows us to learn at a faster rate.

In agile product development avoid the paralysis by analysis

The following insightful story comes from the book Art & Fear by David Bayles  and Ted Orland.

A clever ceramics instructor divided his pottery class into 2 groups. One half of the students would be graded on quality and the other half would be grade on quantity.

Thought out the course, the “quality” students funnelled all the energy into crafting the perfect ceramic piece, they studied the right mix of materials, the correct measures, weight, optimal temperature, did an extensive research and produced one “perfect” product.

While the second half students do not care about the “perfect” product, but produced pots in every session non stop.

At the end, although it was counterintuitive to his students, you can guess how his experiment came out at the end of the course, the best pieces all came from students whose goal was quantity, the ones who spent the most time actually practicing their craft.

This lesson is applicable to a much broader view, if you want to make something great, you need to start making. Looking for perfection can get in the way during the early stages of the creative process. Do not get stuck in planing and start acting.

All the over-planing, talking are sings that we are afraid, that we don’t just feel ready;  that tendency leads us to wait rather than act, to perfect rather than launch.

* Image credit istock.com