Getting The First 15% Right
If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late. — Reid Hoffman
Starting anything is challenging and difficult work. There are plenty of situations where massive growth has happened after launches and after continued product development. Starting with a solid plan and having a sturdy philosophy leads to success.
Most successful creatives develop, create, and follow a careful plan designed for success before beginning anything. During the development phase, they will allow for criticism and ideas to be challenged and consider the pitfalls and problems before they arise. If a team with less experience rushes into something without the plan, it is possible that critical problems can arise and these mistakes may cause bigger issues at a later date. This learning period can be used for future experience, but sometimes, in rare circumstances those mistakes can’t be overcome.
The first 15% of anything is critical, which is why many struggle with the where and how to start. The expectation of something being perfect is the challenge and the goal, but flirting with perfection is sometimes the best that might happen. There will always be struggles and issues, which is why perfection is a nice goal, but not always a likely outcome.
William Edwards Deming is the author of the Total Quality Movement, which was started and tested in Japan and then adopted in much of the rest of the world. This contribution is considered so historically important that at the time, US News and World Report called him one of the “nine hidden turning points in history.”
Deming is famous for saying that after poring through statistical analysis accumulated over 50 years, it is safe to assume that all processes have a beginning and an end. He is noted for saying that when you get the first 15% correct (what he calls the “initial conditions”), it is virtually ensured that the remaining 85% will effortlessly follow.
In a creative endeavor, it is critical to understand that the thought required upfront, sometimes before the project starts, is part of the final product. This incubation stage is sometimes far more important than the time it takes to produce and ship the idea in its final formation. This creation stage, this movement of thought forward is a critical step toward the end goal.
In writing, making sure that a firm outline is ready to go is an important step. It is critical to think about the purpose, the audience, the platform, the persona, and the argument you are planning to get out. The planning of characters and plotting of story is critical before any actual writing should begin.
In coaching, the first 15% involves getting the team on the same page and working together. It involves getting the aim and the purpose for the team. It involves team goals and individual goals for success, which may be different for each position or each side of the ball. It involves having a philosophy for the team to follow, words to believe in, a framework for the work that is to be done on the field. It has little to do with technique and skill of the sport.
In teaching the first 15% involves getting the rules for the classroom created, developing a culture of learning, and developing a place of trust and respect. It has little to do with knowledge or subject matter. It has to do with building a strong place to learn, to develop, and to create.
In business, the first 15% involves spreading company strategies, practices, and philosophies as well. It involves the constant creation of a perfect product through the manufacturing process. It involves working constantly to improve on quality and productivity of the company from inside to out. It involves building trust with employees and with customers.
It would be very easy to just spout out words or ideas and slap something together, but without careful thought and consideration of the true goal of any project, large or small, many issues come back to the beginning. How many times have you heard, “If this was solved from the beginning, then this wouldn’t have happened.”
The first 15% of anything is the hardest part, but the paramount piece to the success. It is in this first 15% where companies, systems, and ideas get broken down and built up. It is a place where perfection is important, but must be let go so that growth can happen. The first 15% moves the needle and forms the foundation for the next steps for progress.
