Embracing Imperfection: The Journey from First Release to Real Growth （擁抱不完美：從首次發佈到真正成長的旅程）
If you’re not embarrassed by your first product release, you’ve released it too late." This quote by Reid Hoffman from Masters of Scale has been a guiding principle for me throughout my entrepreneurial journey. The podcast, filled with conversations between Reid and various founders about the highs and lows of building companies, always leaves me feeling both inspired and excited. One episode that resonated deeply with me was titled Imperfect is Perfect, featuring none other than Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. It highlighted the idea that striving for perfection can often delay the very progress we seek.
Reflecting on my own experience, the first release of the 榖東App was far from perfect—it was, in fact, quite a mess. The code was tangled, the UI/UX design was far from satisfying, and there were countless flaws. But driven by the need to launch and make an impact, I pushed forward. We released it, flaws and all, because getting it out there was more important than waiting for an unattainable level of perfection.
I vividly remember the thrill of encountering our very first user. They joined our Line OpenChat, and it was an exhilarating moment—our first real user, someone who found us and decided to engage with us. It felt like validation, a small but powerful sign that we were on the right track.
Of course, not all feedback was positive. In the early days, one stranger accused us of being a scam. I was furious at the time, but looking back, it’s a story I now recount with a smile. I mean, if I were scamming people, I’d have set the prices a lot higher!
What truly drove our growth was the continuous feedback from our users. They showed us our shortcomings and pointed out areas where we needed to improve. We didn’t have the luxury of ample capital or time to perfect our product from the start. Instead, we relied on learning quickly, adapting, and iterating based on real user input. This approach allowed us to deliver a product that, while not perfect, continually evolved to better meet the needs and expectations of our users.
Embracing imperfection wasn’t just a necessity—it became a philosophy. It’s about learning as you go, being responsive, and understanding that every stumble is an opportunity to improve. The journey from that first imperfect release to where we are now has been filled with lessons, growth, and above all, the realization that imperfection is not a flaw—it’s the path to progress.
So, if you’re waiting for your product to be perfect before launching, remember this: the real learning begins when your product meets the real world. Launch, learn, and don’t be afraid to be embarrassed. That’s the true essence of growth.
「如果你對自己的第一個產品發布不感到尷尬，那麼你發布得太晚了。」這句來自 Masters of Scale 的 Reid Hoffman 的話，對我整個創業過程有著深遠的影響。這個 Podcast 中，Reid 與各創辦人討論關於創業、企業故事的內容，總是讓我充滿了振奮與興奮。特別是其中一集，名為 Imperfect is Perfect，邀請到 Facebook 創辦人 Mark Zuckerberg，強調追求完美往往會延遲我們真正想要的進步。
回想我自己的經歷，榖東App 的第一次發佈真的算不上完美。程式碼雜亂無章，UI/UX 設計也不盡如人意，存在著數不清的瑕疵。但在那時，我們需要快速推出產品，產生影響，所以硬著頭皮上線了。與其等待完美的那一天，不如趕快讓產品面世，因為行動比等待更重要。
我至今仍記得遇到第一個用戶的那份激動。他加入了我們的 Line OpenChat，那是非常振奮人心的時刻——我們的第一個真實用戶！他們找到了我們，並選擇參與，這種感覺就像是一種認可，小小的卻充滿力量。
當然，並不是所有的反饋都是正面的。創業初期，也曾有陌生人指責我們是詐騙。當時我非常生氣，但現在回想起來卻覺得這是一個有趣的故事。如果真的是詐騙，那我的收費未免也太低了吧！
真正推動我們成長的是來自用戶的持續反饋。他們幫助我們發現了不足，指出了需要改進的地方。我們沒有充裕的資本或時間來打造一個完美的產品，而是依賴於快速學習、適應和迭代。這種方式讓我們能夠交付一個雖然不完美但不斷改進、越來越貼近用戶需求的產品。
擁抱不完美不僅是現實的選擇，更成為了一種信念。它關乎在前進中學習，快速響應，不把失誤看作缺陷，而是視作通往進步的必經之路。從那次不完美的首發到如今的成長過程中，充滿了無數的教訓和成長，更重要的是，我們逐漸認識到不完美並非缺點，而是通往成功的道路。
所以，如果你還在等待產品完美才願意上線，請記住：真正的學習始於你的產品進入真實世界的那一刻。勇敢地發佈，快速學習，不要害怕尷尬。這才是真正的成長之道。
BTW, the feature image is our first LOGO~~
