Done vs Perfect

We’re told to ship fast, break things, and move on. That velocity is everything. That iteration beats precision. That “done is better than perfect.”

But in the race to deliver, have we forgotten what quality feels like?

In today’s project environments, perfection is seen as a luxury, or worse, a sign of inefficiency. Speed is worshipped. Margins are tight. Deadlines are non-negotiable. And in this rush to meet the next milestone, something essential is lost: craftsmanship, resilience, and pride in the outcome.

Because “done” is not always done.

Sometimes, it’s fragile. Sometimes, it’s rushed. And too often, it’s quietly followed by rework, firefighting, or downstream failure. We call it agile. We call it iterative. But if the foundation is flawed, iteration just spreads the cracks faster.

Look at Boeing. Once the benchmark of engineering excellence, now a cautionary tale. In the pursuit of delivery speed and shareholder returns, they traded quality for cost-efficiency. The result? Planes grounded. Safety questioned. Trust eroded.

Or Siemens Gamesa.  A flagship of the energy transition. Rapid expansion, aggressive targets, and product issues that crippled operations. Growth at the expense of stability.

And Thames Water. A utility built to serve the public, run on private incentives. Decades of underinvestment, crumbling infrastructure, and still … dividends paid. All while the system collapses under its own weight.

These aren’t fringe examples. They’re symptoms of a deeper issue: when short-term outputs replace long-term outcomes. When delivery metrics matter more than the value we create.

At Panta Rhei, I am passionate about this topic and I challenge leaders on it.

I don’t romanticise perfection. But I don’t accept mediocrity dressed up as progress either. Our work is grounded in flow, the continuous movement toward outcomes that are not just completed, but robust, resilient, and right.

I help clients:
– Identify where shortcuts are undermining results.
– Rebuild processes that enable both speed and substance.
– Align teams not just on deadlines, but on quality markers that matter.

Because finishing is not the goal. Finishing well is.