Make it ug-ly!

Twice today I was told “Make it Ugly!”

First by Andrew Warner.  Then by programmer at a Girls Who Code meetup.

Two different people.  Two different projects.

And “What?!” was my reaction both times.

Then came a sigh of relief.

You mean, I don’t have to be perfect?!

If you weren’t embarrassed by the first version, you launched too late. — Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn Founder

Whew!

Those heavy clouds hovering above parted.

I don’t have to do it “right.”

Who defines “right” anyway?

In making it ugly I can do it:

1) my way

2) fast

3) simple

4) not perfect

My realizations:

1) My way or the highway.

2) It is a waste to spend too much time implementing something that may or may not work.

3) Complexity has the propensity to take over when too much thought is put into something.

4) Perfection can lead to mass complication and turn into a complete mess.  Yes, just the thing perfectionists try to avoid.

The take-away:

Get whatever you are working on out there, even if it’s ug-ly!

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