Just ship it

Writing here, and in my work as a web developer, shipping is always the hardest part. Untold fears lie yonder, on the other side of hitting deploy, post or send. It feels vulnerable. It makes me cringe. It's uncomfortable. I've started the process of exploring what I fear and why. The what is the fear of:

The why is probably about insufficient self-worth. I'm still figuring this one out. The bottom line is, shipping is scary even when you do it regularly. The fear never really goes away, but you can get better at handling it. This is a reminder to myself, as much as any one else who needs to hear it: just ship it.

It doesn't matter that your creation is not perfect. It doesn't need to be. As Joei Chan points out, perfectionism is a self-worth problem. It's not the end of the world if your creation is not exactly as it should be, you can always come back and iterate. It's easy to tinker with things forever, because there's always something you notice needs doing just before you ship. But don't fall into that comfortable trap. The more frequently you feel the discomfort of shipping, the more resilience you will build to withstand it.

Here are some tips I have gleaned that might help you get moving:

Understand your fears

A bit of introspection is required to identify your fears and understand what they're about. Then you can begin the process of addressing them. I am yet to come to grips with this myself, but I'm learning.

Ship regularly

This will help familiarise you with the discomfort of getting things out there. The longer you leave it, the harder it can be to return. Save yourself the pain of having to rebuild your resilience all over again. Prioritise posting whatever you have, however big or small.

Set deadlines

Deadlines are a double-edged sword. They can be really useful in holding you accountable and giving you something to work towards. They can prevent you from over-tinkering, because once the ship date arrives, you have no choice but to honour it. This is especially true if you do it publicly.

However, too many deadlines can have a negative impact. The result can be deadline fatigue, high stress, burnout and low quality outputs, if you don't give yourself enough time to complete your work. Just writing this sentence has conjured unhappy childhood memories of not having finished my homework in time. Eurgh!

I find deadlines stressful, loom as they do like the sword of Damocles, especially as there never seems to be enough time to complete the task in time. But I also can't deny that deadlines work.

Follow the 80 / 20 rule

The Pareto principle holds that 80% of our outcomes result from 20% of our efforts. So don't spend too much time, fussing and polishing. If your creation is good enough, ship it. Prioritize the vital 20% needed to make your work impactful. If like me you're a perfectionist, this one is for you.

Courage mon brave!

Feel the fear and do it anyway. I promise you, you're not the only one in this predicament. Many people whose work you admire, feel the same anxiety and proceed in spite of it. You can do it too.

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