The truth we’re all forgetting about Amazon

There is an international compulsion with getting things right on the first try. 

Feeling like absolute failures if our venture doesn’t knock it out of the park on the first swing.

It’s almost like we’ve forgotten that Amazon, the biggest company in the world, started by only selling books.

Or that Apple’s first computer was a glorified circuit board in a wooden box.

And Meta was an easy way for Ivy League college students to rate each other’s photos. 

The secret has NEVER been to get it perfect - it’s to make it slightly less terrible each time you try.

Here’s a little sneak peek on this concept in action from my new book, “The Solvable Problem®”:

Laurel Portié (Chapter 5) started going live on Facebook every day for 100 straight days, testing what worked. No fancy strategy, no complex marketing plan - just showing up and iterating. That simple experiment led to consistent testing, priceless feedback, and precise refinement. 

And eventually turned into a brand that has transformed countless businesses.

But it didn’t start with a master plan. It started with showing up, trying stuff out, and making it better.

That’s what embracing iteration really looks like. 

And here’s the thing - most of us know this intellectually. We’ve heard the stories. We’ve read the books. We’ve nodded along and scribbled notes during countless podcasts and workshops.

But when it comes to our own businesses? That’s when perfectionism and ego creep in like an unwanted house guest who won’t leave. 

We sit on ideas for months, tweaking and refining before we even let them see the light of day. 

We obsess over every detail of our website… our packaging… our social media presence…

All convinced that if we can get it “perfect” before launch - success will follow.

But here’s what actually happens when we chase perfection:

… Our competitors beat us to market while we’re still fine-tuning.

… Early valuable feedback is missed that could make our offerings better.

… Time is wasted solving problems our customers don’t actually have.

… Resources are burnt through perfecting features NOBODY wants. 

And worst of all? We rob ourselves of the most valuable teacher in business: real world experience.

Think about when you learned to ride a bike. You didn’t start by reading the manual on optimizing pedal performance or watching YouTube videos about proper balance. 

You got on the bike. You fell off. You got back on. You wobbled a little less, then fell off again. And each time, you wobbled a little bit less. Eventually, you were zooming down the street like you’d been doing it your whole life.

Business works the same way.

Every successful company you admire got there through iteration. They launched something “good enough,” listened to their customers, and made it better. Rinse and repeat. 

Amazon. Apple. Meta. Nike. Google. Tesla. Costco.

They all started somewhere imperfect and iterated their way to excellence.

So here’s my weekly challenge for you: What are you sitting on right now that’s “good enough” to launch?

Maybe it’s:

• The new service you’ve been planning for months

• The podcast you’ve been meaning to start

• The product line extension you’ve been tweaking

• The hiring process you’ve been overthinking

• The social media campaigns you keep refining

Whatever it is, this is the week to get it out there. Launch at 60% perfect and “fail” your way up to 90%.

Because here’s the truth: the last 10% ALWAYS comes from customer feedback anyway. So you might as well start collecting it now.

Start small. Start messy. Start imperfect.

Just start.

(Then make it slightly less terrible each time you try.)

If you want to read Laurel’s story in depth (along with 7 other Case Studies) reply to this email with what you’re going to start this week and I’ll send you a PDF copy of my new book, “The Solvable Problem®”.  

Here’s to your success and financial certainty.