Why You Should Not Strive For Perfection: Perfect is the Enemy of Good
How Perfectionism Slows Down Software Development Progress And How To Avoid It
Get a list of personally curated and freely accessible ML, NLP, and computer vision resources for FREE on newsletter sign-up.
Consider sharing this with someone who wants to know more about machine learning.
Introduction
Software development is a complex field that involves writing code, debugging, testing, and maintaining software applications. With the growing demand for high-quality software, perfectionism can seem like a valuable trait. However, striving for perfection often leads to delays, frustration, and missed opportunities. This article explores why perfectionism can be detrimental to software development and offers practical advice on how to balance quality and efficiency.
Note: This week due to logistics I couldn't prepare hand-drawn visuals.
Why Perfectionism is Problematic
1. Increased Development Time
Perfectionism leads to excessive time spent on minor details. Developers might tweak code repeatedly, seeking the perfect solution. This time could be better spent on developing new features or addressing critical bugs.
Imagine a developer repeatedly polishing a single piece of code while the project timeline extends and other critical tasks pile up.