Perfect Does Not Exist

"Perfect is the enemy of good." Often attributed to Voltaire, this quote reminds us that the pursuit of perfection frequently becomes an excuse for inaction. We wait. We tweak. We revise. We analyze. Meanwhile, the opportunity passes by.

Entrepreneurs are especially vulnerable to this trap. Many founders delay launching a product because it is not quite ready. Authors postpone publishing because one more edit is needed. Investors wait for the perfect deal. Students wait for the perfect time to start a business.

The problem is simple: perfect does not exist.

In my first book First, Best, or Different, I argued that being the best is often a temporary destination. Once you climb the mountain and declare your product, service, or company superior, competitors begin plotting about how to push you off the peak. Today's best quickly becomes tomorrow's has been.

Being first is equally problematic. The pioneer clears the path through the jungle, but in doing so creates a convenient trail for everyone to follow. The rewards of being first are often short-lived, while the costs of educating the market can be substantial.

So what should you do? My answer is to be different. Different is harder to copy. Different creates identity. Different gives customers a reason to choose you when alternatives are available. The goal is not to be perfect. The goal is to deliver something valuable that others cannot or will not provide.

For who you ask? Customers are not looking for perfection. They are looking for solutions. Investors are not searching for perfect founders. They are searching for founders who can learn, adapt, and execute. Employers are not hiring perfect employees. They are hiring people who can create value and work well with others.

The pursuit of perfection often masks something deeper: fear. Fear of failure. Fear of criticism. Fear of being judged. If the work is never finished, it can never be evaluated. But progress belongs to those willing to act before certainty arrives.

The startup world provides countless examples. Rarely does the first version of a product become the final version. Successful companies launch, learn, improve, and repeat. They evolve because they are in motion.

The same principle applies to your personal life. Perfect parents do not exist. Perfect families do not exist. Perfect relationships do not exist. Perfect does not exist.

What exists are imperfect people making the best decisions they can with the information available at the time. Perfection is often a luxury of observers while progress is the responsibility of participants. It is easy to sit on the sidelines and critique. It is much harder to step into the arena and do the work. The people who build companies, write books, raise families, teach students, and create change rarely have perfect information or unlimited time. They make decisions, learn from the results, adjust course, and keep moving forward.

Perhaps the objective is not perfection at all. Maybe the objective is continuous improvement. That means launch before you're ready. Publish before every sentence is polished (this certainly applies to me). Invest before every risk disappears.

Be different.

John Bradley Jackson
© 2026 All rights reserved.

P.S. Several readers have asked about First, Best, or Different. The book is out of print, but used copies still appear online from time to time. The publishing world has changed considerably since it was released, but the core message remains the same: don't chase perfection, don't obsess about being first, and don't assume being the best will last forever. Find a meaningful way to be different.