There’s a natural temptation in product development to hold back until everything feels perfect. We imagine all the edge cases, all the possible client demands, all the future scenarios — and then we try to build for all of them. The result? Products delayed, opportunities missed, and teams caught in the illusion of “completeness.”
My experience has taught me that this is rarely the right path.
A few years ago, I was responsible for launching an integrated payouts–payins–cards platform across multiple markets — including Australia, the UK, and Europe. It was a major step: new geographies, new regulations, new client demands.
The instinct could have been to perfect every last detail before launch. But perfection is a moving target, and in rapidly evolving industries like payments, the market does not wait. Instead, I made a different choice: to launch with a platform that was solid, met the core needs, but still had room to evolve through client feedback and real-world usage.
It wasn’t about cutting corners — it was about focusing on the right corners.
The Principle of “Good Enough”
In product management, good enough does not mean sloppy. It means:
- The product solves the primary problem for the client.
- It is stable, reliable, and secure.
- It is flexible enough to accommodate change.
What it does not mean is that every conceivable use case is covered, every edge case accounted for, or every “nice to have” polished before launch. That’s where iteration earns its place.
Real-World Lessons from Launching Fast
Here are a few illustrative cases that highlight why launching and iterating is often the smarter move:
Case 1: The Client Who Wanted More APIs
We launched with a core set of APIs for payouts and account creation. Within weeks, a client asked for more granular reporting APIs. Instead of waiting months to anticipate every possible reporting need, we shipped a usable framework first, then co-designed improvements with them. This not only gave us speed but built client trust — they saw their feedback shaping the product.
Case 2: Regulatory Requirements Shifting
In one market, new reporting rules came into effect after launch. Had we tried to anticipate and hard-code for every possible future regulation, we would have never shipped. Instead, we built with a modular compliance layer that could adapt. The principle: design for change, not for every change.
Case 3: The Onboarding Flow Debate
Teams debated endlessly about whether clients should be able to self-serve onboarding or if everything should be guided by account managers. Instead of chasing the “perfect” model, we launched with a simple hybrid: guided onboarding, but with self-service features quietly piloted. Over time, usage data told us where to double down.
Each of these scenarios underscored the same truth: launching created momentum, learning, and trust in ways that endless polishing could never have achieved.
Product Management Principles That Matter
Looking back, here are some of the product principles I leaned on — lessons that continue to hold true:
- Bias for Action
Momentum matters. Products earn trust not in PowerPoints, but in production. - Solve the Core Problem First
Nail the must-haves. Be ruthless about what qualifies as “must have” vs. “nice to have.” - Build for Iteration
Design systems so that new modules, APIs, or features can be added without breaking the foundation. Flexibility beats premature completeness. - Feedback Is a Feature
Your first users are co-designers. Ship early enough that their feedback shapes the product. - Don’t Solve Ghost Problems
Avoid over-engineering for scenarios that may never come. Wait for real data. - Think in Loops, Not Lines
Launch → Learn → Iterate → Relaunch. This cycle is how world-class products are built.
The Bigger Picture
Launching without chasing perfection is not about lowering standards. It’s about understanding that the real world is the ultimate testbed. A product in the hands of clients, generating feedback, and evolving is infinitely more valuable than a “perfect” product still trapped in development.
In fact, some of the most enduring platforms I’ve worked on didn’t start perfect. They started solid, with a clear focus, and then grew into their potential. The key was resisting the urge to overcomplicate, and having the humility to let clients and markets guide the next steps.
Because in product management, the question is rarely: Is this perfect?
The better question is: Is this useful, usable, and ready to grow?
That’s when you launch.