The Struggle with Perfectionism: When "Perfect" is Too Much

Hey, Mats here again! Today, I want to talk about something that I’ve struggled with for a long time—perfectionism. I think a lot of us, especially in the startup world, fall into this trap. We want everything we put out there, especially anything customer-facing, to be absolutely perfect. Every pixel, every word, every interaction has to be just right. But here’s the thing I’ve learned: sometimes, it’s just too much.

The Perfectionist’s Trap

When you’re building a product, especially one that’s as customer-focused as KfzPortal24, it’s natural to want every detail to be flawless. I’ve spent hours obsessing over small things like copy on the website, the positioning of buttons, or the exact color of a graphic. It’s the kind of stuff that feels important because it’s the part of the product that customers see. If something is off, it reflects on us, right?

But the reality is, most of the time, customers don’t even notice. We pour so much energy into perfecting details that, in the grand scheme of things, don’t make or break the user experience. And that’s where perfectionism becomes a problem.

When Perfection Becomes Too Much

I’ve had moments where I’ve delayed product launches or updates because I wasn’t 100% happy with how something looked or worked. I convinced myself that the customer would care just as much as I did, and that’s where I’ve gone wrong.

In reality, customers care about the big picture. They want a product that solves their problems quickly, efficiently, and reliably. They’re not going to notice if a button is 2 pixels off or if the font could be a shade darker. But as a perfectionist, those are the things that can keep me up at night.

This isn’t to say that details don’t matter—they do. But there’s a fine line between getting things right and getting lost in the pursuit of perfection.

The Need to Make Every Customer 100% Happy

Another aspect of perfectionism that I’ve wrestled with is the need to make every customer completely happy—even when things are out of our control. Whether it’s an issue with a third-party provider or a delay in the process that we have no power over, I still feel a sense of responsibility to make sure the customer’s experience is flawless.

When a customer isn’t 100% satisfied, I can’t help but feel like we’ve failed. But the reality is that no matter how hard we try, we can’t control everything. I’m learning that sometimes, the best thing we can do is communicate clearly, manage expectations, and offer the best support possible—even when things don’t go as planned.

The Balance Between Perfect and Done

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is that perfect is the enemy of done. There’s always going to be something I could tweak, improve, or polish a little more, but if I keep chasing perfection, nothing gets finished.

A good product that’s out in the world, helping customers, is infinitely better than a perfect product that’s stuck in development. I’ve had to remind myself that our customers aren’t waiting for perfection—they’re waiting for solutions to their problems. It’s okay to iterate and improve as we go.

How I’m Trying to Let Go

Letting go of perfectionism is easier said than done, and I’m not going to pretend I’ve mastered it. I still find myself obsessing over details more than I should, but I’m trying to get better at recognizing when "good enough" is really good enough.

Now, I focus on the core experience. Is the product easy to use? Does it solve the customer’s problem? Is it reliable? Those are the things that truly matter. I’ve learned that it’s okay to release something that’s not 100% perfect if it’s going to make a difference for our users.

And let’s be honest—there’s always room for improvement. The key is to keep moving forward, learning from feedback, and refining as we go.

Final Thoughts

Perfectionism can be both a strength and a weakness. It pushes us to deliver high-quality products, but it can also slow us down when we over-focus on the little things. For me, the challenge is learning when to let go and accept that sometimes, “good enough” is exactly what the customer needs.

What about you? Do you struggle with perfectionism, and if so, how do you manage it? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time,
Mats