“A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.”
or
“How I learned to stop dithering and make a decision”
I have probably mentioned it before, but the best career advice I’ve ever gotten came from a mentor of mine who told me:
“You are very persistent, but you need to ask for help sooner”
Incidentally, this sage advice came from someone who I respect more than anyone I’ve ever done business with. His greatest business attribute is that he will ALWAYS make a decision and never second-guess himself. I’ve told him several times in the 20 years I’ve known him:
“You’re not always right, but you ALWAYS make a decision”
One of the best and worst parts of running my own business is that I make all the decisions. I decide when something is ready for whatever stage it’s supposed to be at. I decide which projects I want to build and which ones I don’t. I decide when I need to bring in a hired gun to handle something outside my “9 dots”. I’m extremely fortunate to have a very small list of developers, designers and marketers I trust with my clients. After you’ve gained enough experience in your field you also gain the confidence that you really do know what you’re talking about. If a project requires a coding or architecture decision, I make one. If it requires a design or layout decision I still make a decision but only after I bring in my design expert to give me the pros and cons of A or B.
You won’t always be right, but your project won’t stall out and your clients will respect you.
My favorite line from this song: “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice”