Just Ship It
Bias to Action
“If you're not embarrassed by your first version, you shipped too late.”
The Journey
From Raw Facts to Lived Wisdom
Overview
Just Ship It is the discipline of overcoming perfectionism to get real feedback from the real world. It's not about carelessness - it's about recognizing that learning requires action.
Minimum Viable Product
The smallest thing you can ship that will generate real learning
Iteration Speed
How quickly you can ship, learn, and ship again
Productive Embarrassment
The discomfort of shipping something imperfect that generates valuable feedback
Raw Facts & Sources
The foundation. Verified facts, primary sources, and direct quotes that form the bedrock of understanding.
What do we know for certain?
Key Facts
- If you're not embarrassed by your first version, you shipped too late
- Real feedback only comes from shipped products
- Planning beyond a certain point is procrastination disguised as diligence
- Speed of iteration beats quality of initial release
Source Quotes
“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.”
— George Patton
Sources
Context & Structure
Facts organized into meaning. Historical context, core concepts, and why this matters now.
What does this mean?
Historical Context
The shift from waterfall to agile represented a recognition that reality cannot be planned, only discovered through iteration.
Modern Relevance
AI accelerates iteration cycles dramatically - the competitive advantage is now decisively with those who ship fast and learn fast.
Patterns & Connections
Insights that emerge from information. Mental models, cross-domain connections, and what most people get wrong.
What patterns emerge?
Key Insights
Shipping is a skill that improves with practice
Perfectionism is fear wearing a professional costume
The market doesn't care about your plans - only your products
Learning is proportional to shipping, not thinking
Mental Models
Action & Transformation
Knowledge applied to life. Practical applications, daily practices, and warning signs when you drift.
How do I live this?
Practical Applications
When: When stuck in planning
→ Ask "What's the smallest thing I could ship today that would generate learning?"
✓ Momentum through action
When: When perfectionism is blocking progress
→ Set a shipping deadline and honor it regardless of state
✓ Break the perfectionism cycle
When: When afraid of criticism
→ Remember that not shipping is worse than shipping something imperfect
✓ Reframe criticism as information
Reflection Questions
What am I not shipping because it's not ready enough?
What would I ship if I knew no one would judge me?
How many iterations am I trading for false certainty?
Daily Practice
Ship something small every day - could be as simple as sending an email you've been drafting.
Warning Sign
When your planning documents are longer than your shipped products, you have a shipping problem.
