Perfectionism: the unseen trap
For many years, I believed that being a perfectionist was a good thing. I used to proudly say, “I'm a perfectionist”.
In the world of software development, it seems like a good thing. It makes you look high-performing, rigorous, and professional. But in fact, perfectionism can be the biggest obstacle to your progress.
The never-published app
Many years ago, I built a messaging app for schools with a framework called Laravel. Lots of late nights. Non-stop refactoring. Interaction improvements. Technical optimizations.
And yet... it was never published. Why? 'Cause it was never quite “ready.”
Every time I learned a new skill, I found a better way of doing things. So I made changes. I made improvements. And then I started all over again. As I learned more, I kept postponing the release.
The syndrome of the “always junior” developer
Even now, despite the years, I still have the feeling of being a bit of a novice. That feeling of not being up to the task:
- not competent enough,
- not experienced enough,
- not credible enough.
As long as we listen to that little voice, we keep putting things off, procrastinate. We wait until we feel ready. But here's an uncomfortable truth: we almost never feel ready.
How perfectionism really gets in the way
It's not about wanting to do a really good job. It's about:
- optimizing invisible details,
- solving non-existent problems,
- wishing to compete with the best from the very first project,
- waiting to reach an imagined level before moving forward.
In programming in 2026, iteration is more important than the quest for perfection. Successful developers are those who:
- Publish.
- Receive feedback.
- Improve.
- Start over.
Not those who endlessly polish a private draft.
The 80/20 rule applied to our projects
The last 20% often takes 80% of the time. And that 20% adds almost no real value. An imperfect but published project:
- exists,
- evolves,
- attracts feedback,
- creates opportunities.
A perfect but never published project: - does not exist. Done > perfect
It's not just a question of programming
I've talked about apps, but this principle goes far beyond coding.
It applies to:
- launching a YouTube channel,
- starting your business,
- publishing your first product,
- writing your first article,
- building publicly.
Perfectionism doesn't just hold developers back. It holds creators back. It holds entrepreneurs back. It holds people back from taking action.
My decision: build in public
Starting now, I'm going to build in public. Even if this blog isn't perfect. Even if the app isn't quite finished yet. Even if everything could be improved. I'm going to publish. I'm going to share my progress. I'm going to show my flaws.
And yes, I'll probably continue to feel like a junior developer from time to time. But I will not let that feeling decide for me.
No more holding back
This article was meant to be published on January 1st. It's now more than 40 days later. It's finally published. And that simple fact marks a change. The app will be released. Future projects will see the light of day. Ideas will no longer remain in draft form.
What's next?
Up next, I'll be addressing a topic very closely related to this one: The imposter syndrome. Because often, behind perfectism lies fear.
See you next week. At least... I hope so anyway.
If this article resonated with you, sign up for the newsletter or see if you can follow me somehow 😁. This time, we're moving forward. Even if it's not perfect.