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Sometimes a helpful antidote to the nirvana fallacy is to choose a solution which doesn't preclude perfection. It's one thing to make a decision which blocks y

Sometimes a helpful antidote to the nirvana fallacy is to choose a solution which doesn't preclude perfection. It's one thing to make a decision which blocks you off from ever solving the problem the really correct way. It's another thing to not achieve perfection now but leave open a path to going back and improving certain parts later so you eventually get there. For example, maybe one component of your code uses an inefficient algorithm, but you isolate that so that later you can create a drop-in replacement that is optimal. For me, at least, it's mentally freeing to just take a little time to verify I haven't painted myself into a corner. Once I know that, I'm satisfied and can more easily move on to build the imperfect system I need to build now.

teucris 7y ago
1000% agree. My team is in the middle of building a new system, and it’s gotten to the point where I’ve found myself saying the phrase “let’s not paint ourselves in a corner” 2-3 times a day. An additional benefit is that you get to testing your solution in the real world sooner, shaping your perception of perfection (and therefore the list of needed improvements) in production rather than on paper.
- pg_is_a_butt 7y ago
  ... and then one day you finally scale with massive traction... every single potential customer shows up on the same day, and all leave with bad impressions, never to return or consider returning again.