[January 2026] 🤘 Why "good enough" beats perfect every time (+ 3 updates)

Hey it’s Mica,

I’ve always wanted to be “a runner” but could never get past the starting line. I’d research “the right” shoes, make New Year’s resolutions, curate the perfect playlist. Nothing stuck.

A few months ago, I tried something different. I stopped trying to be a perfect runner. Threw on whatever shoes I had, ran a short lap, called it a win. Then I did it the next day.

That’s when it clicked. The less time I spent optimizing upfront, the more I ran.

We learned the same lesson rebuilding our onboarding process and I see the same pattern with our customers. Some teams keep their referral program in draft for weeks, debating small details like whether the reward should be $25 or $30, or this word or that word in their messaging. Meanwhile, others launch a good enough version and start seeing referrals within weeks.

The most expensive thing you can own is a project that hasn't launched yet. Until your idea is out in the world, you're working in a vacuum.

Today, I'm sharing 5 tactics to escape the perfection trap and build momentum for your next project.

Let’s dive in (plus see our normal monthly feature updates at the end),

-Mica
Head of Operations

🏃 Your first version isn't your final version

The fear of launching something imperfect is that you'll be stuck with it. But that's only true if you treat launch as an ending instead of a beginning.

Here are five ways to build momentum:

1) Strip it down to what matters

Start with the smallest version that still delivers real value. You don’t need a perfect system on Day 1. You need three things:

• Clear outcome (what this helps someone do)

• Simple path (the steps to get there)

• A way to reach the right people

Examples:

• Referral program: Pick a simple reward (like $50 for both sides), use the default templates, start promoting

• Email campaign: One audience segment, one offer, one CTA

• New product/service: Build the core thing customers will pay for (not the extras)

2) Set a hard deadline

Without a deadline, "almost ready" stretches forever. Pick a date, work backward from it, and let the date force decisions.

A go live date isn't a prediction that you'll be ready, it's a commitment that creates readiness. When the date is fixed, scope becomes negotiable. When scope is fixed, the date becomes negotiable. You can't have both.

Examples:

• Referral program: Block your go live date during onboarding (treat it like an external commitment)

• Direct mail promotion: "Spring mailers drop March 1." Commit to the date, then build the campaign around it

• Pricing change: Pick the effective date, announce it, then figure out the rollout details

3) Start with a small audience

You don't have to launch to everyone at once. Start with a subset: new customers only, a particular group of people, or a handful of your best advocates.

A small audience reduces the stakes. If something breaks, fewer people see it. If something works, you have proof before you scale.

Examples:

• Referral program: Invite new customers as they purchase (not a big blast) or start with 50-100 of your biggest fans

• Paid ads campaign: Start with a $200 test budget. A week of real data beats a month of internal debate about creative

• New CRM rollout: Onboard one team or one rep. Work out the kinks before rolling out company-wide

4) Document the fast-follow tasks

Before you go live, write down everything you're not including. These aren't failures, they're the list of improvements you'll make once you have real data. This gives you permission to cut scope without forgetting what you plan to improve.

Examples:

• Referral program: Keep a running list: "After go-live, we'll add tiered rewards, revisit the landing page copy, setup the advanced integrations"

• Email campaign: Add A/B testing, additional creative, re-engagement campaigns once baseline is set

• New product/service: Add the nice to haves, the quality of life improvements, and the changes customers actually request

5) Plan your first check-in

Before moving to your next project, schedule a review date on your calendar. Not "when I have time" but pick a specific date.

Leave room for quick fixes, the obvious "oops" moments, that need immediate attention. But resist the urge to optimize before you've gathered enough signal. Let it bake.

Examples:

• Referral program: Set a two-week check-in to review your fast-follow list, analyze your referral funnel data, and implement early feedback

• Email campaign: Let it run for 30 days then decide what to test next based on engagement

• Landing page: Commit to 500 visitors before making changes (collect data first, react second)

How we applied these 5 tactics

Last year, we noticed a pattern: customers were signing up, having great onboarding calls, but not everyone went live. Some moved fast. Others stalled.

Our hypothesis: a structured plan, visible to both us and the customer, would surface blockers earlier.

We knew the milestones (set up rewards, update messaging, connect systems, start promoting). But we didn’t know which steps would slow people down.

Instead of waiting, we created a V1 of our “shared program plan.” Nothing fancy, just clear steps showing what it takes to go live, where you are, and what’s next.

Once live, we learned fast:

• Reward decisions took longer than expected → now we provide concrete recommendations upfront

• Teams struggled with copy and imagery → now we write the messaging and create images for them

• Customers sent launch campaigns but skipped continuous promotion → now that’s the first thing we discuss, and we made it easier in the product

We're still iterating, but we're improving based on real behavior, not guesses.