Why ‘Good Enough’ Automation Beats Perfect Every Time

In the quest for automation, perfection can be the enemy of progress. The truth? A ‘good enough’ automation solution often delivers more business value than a perfect one stuck in development hell.

Here’s why settling for good enough can beat perfect every time:

  1. Speed to value: Shipping a solution that covers 80% of functionality means you start reaping benefits sooner. Waiting for every edge case to be automated perfectly delays impact, and no one’s getting paid to wait.
  2. Iterative improvement: ‘Good enough’ automation can be refined continuously. Launch early, learn from real-world usage, and improve. Perfection up front ignores feedback loops and evolving needs.
  3. Cost-effectiveness: Perfect solutions require huge upfront investments on time, money, and brainpower. Good enough balances investment with return, maximizing ROI without wasting resources chasing flawless.
  4. Focus on impactful automation: Automate where it counts, not where it’s just nice to have. Attempting to automate every last detail can introduce complexity, bugs, and maintenance headaches.
  5. Better decision-making velocity: Real-time automation, even if imperfect, accelerates decisions and processes. In fast-paced environments, faster beats flawless.

The takeaway? Aim for automation that’s reliable and delivers real business impact; not the unicorn of perfect, bug-free automation. Get it out there, then iterate.

Automation isn’t about perfection. It’s about momentum.