Don't Wait for the Perfect System—Get It Running First

Emma runs a small nail salon in Sydney. Shewanted to offer her customers online booking.

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Her original idea was simple: letclients choose a time on the website, enter their name, and receive aconfirmation message.

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But when she hired someone to build the site, she keptadding new requests: "Can we include a loyalty program?" "Can wesupport multiple languages?" "Can we sync with Instagram to show offour latest designs?"

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Development time ballooned from two weeks to three months.Eventually, she canceled the whole thing: "Let me think this throughagain."

In the end, she stuck with the old method:taking bookings over the phone and writing them down in a notebook. Hercustomers were frustrated that they couldn’t find a time that worked, and shemissed out on the chance to attract new clients online.

Emma didn’t lack ideas. In fact, she careddeeply about the customer experience. But by trying to build a"perfect" system from the start, she ended up with nothing at all.This isn’t just a tech story—it’s a common trap for small business ownerstrying to upgrade or digitize: perfectionism blocks progress.

That’s exactly what we’re diving intotoday: how Gall’s Law helps us avoid overthinking and start moving.

Gall’s Law: Systems Evolve—They’re NotDesigned All at Once

John Gall, a systems theorist, wrote in hisbook Systemantics:

A complex system that works is invariablyfound to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex systemdesigned from scratch never works and cannot be made to work.

In other words, every successful complexsystem started as a small, working system. Trying to build the entire thingat once from zero usually fails—you’ll still need to go back and start fromsomething simpler.

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Gall used the analogy of building a car. Could you design a modern car from scratch using just diagrams and imagination?Highly unlikely. Today’s car industry evolved from simple carts andsteam-powered engines, improving step by step.

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The same principle applies tosoftware, business processes, and even how you structure your team. Gall’s Lawis clear: don’t try to design the perfect system in one go—start with abasic version that runs.

Why Perfectionism Clashes with Gall’s Law

Perfectionists often aim for an“all-in-one” solution. Just when the system is ready to launch, they come upwith another idea. Just when the website is ready, they imagine anotherfeature. This mindset—“we’ll launch when everything’s ready”—completely goesagainst Gall’s Law.

Because:

Gall's Law says: evolve, iterate, improveas you go.

Perfectionism says: wait, refine, thenmaybe start.

The result? Endless planning, ballooningfeatures, unclear priorities—and no actual launch.

Many projects don’t fail because no one isworking. They fail because no one is shipping a first version that runs.

As one startup guide put it: "Whenyour launch date keeps slipping, it's usually perfectionism replacingrationality."

Why Starting Simple Works Better

In modern business, "start small"is more than just advice—it’s a proven strategy. The idea of an MVP (MinimumViable Product) comes straight from Gall’s Law.

Take Facebook. When it started at Harvard,it was nothing more than a simple student directory. No feed. No games. Nobusiness features. Just a basic product that worked. And it was that smallworking system that proved the demand.

Zappos did the same. Founder Nick Swinmurndidn’t build warehouses or logistics systems at first. He just put up a basicwebsite, photographed shoes from local stores, and fulfilled orders manually.That experiment answered one critical question: “Will people buy shoes online?”

These stories show one thing: getting asmall system running beats dreaming about the perfect one.

As LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman said:

If you’re not embarrassed by the firstversion of your product, you’ve launched too late.

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How to Replace Perfectionism with an Evolution Mindset

If you run a small business, you probablydon’t have time or money to waste chasing perfection. Here are some ways toadopt a more practical approach:

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1. Start with the bare essentials
Identify the core problem. Focus only on solving that, not on extras likepoints systems, integrations, or fancy dashboards.

2. Break the work into small steps
Use weekly or bi-weekly iterations. Each round delivers something. Each roundadjusts based on what you learn.

3. Release early, and get real feedback
Even if it’s just three trusted customers testing something rough—it’s betterthan building in a vacuum.

4. Let users shape the next steps
Your team doesn’t have to guess what matters most. Let the people who use thesystem tell you.

These ideas all share one theme: systemsgrow in the real world—not on whiteboards.

What You Actually Need Is a System That Runs

Perfectionism often looks like highstandards. But through the lens of Gall’s Law, it’s a high-risk move. Perfectsystems exist only on paper. Real systems start small, flawed, and alive.

For small businesses, every dollar and hourcounts. The smartest way forward is to ship a usable version 1.0, then build onit through feedback.

So next time you’re planning a new system,process, or project, ask yourself:

“Can we make a small version that runsfirst—and grow it later?”

That’s how real systems begin.

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