In the previous article I said the next mistake was even more expensive. This one was about time: I kept polishing one part while the whole project waited.
The Start Always Looks Fine
A client comes in asking for a system or a website, with specific ideas in mind. We sit together, agree on everything and start building. Up to this point, everything is on track.
When a Nice Idea Pulls You In
Then we reach a certain part: an idea we really like, or something we feel could be even better. So we get lost in it. Add something here, tweak something there, "let's make it a bit more elegant." We keep polishing and enjoying it, until we look up and realize the time is gone.
That part is now a masterpiece, but the core stages aren't done: pages are missing, the admin panel is incomplete, and the client can't operate without those pieces.
The client isn't waiting for one polished piece. The client is waiting for a working system.
The Snowball: Delays Don't Stop at One Project
Delivery slips, and we start apologizing, postponing and explaining. But the bigger problem was elsewhere: the time I spent polishing wasn't only this project's time. It was taken from other deals. Other clients were waiting their turn, and their projects kept getting pushed back.
Instead of one late project, several were late one after another, a snowball that grows as it rolls. Our intentions were good, we wanted better work, but the result was an unhappy client, other clients waiting and pressure on the whole team.
Three Lessons I Learned
- Finish the full cycle first. Every core stage of the system should work from start to finish, even in a simple form.
- Polish once the core is done. You're then improving a stable base, and the client has a working version to test and give feedback on.
- Any polishing idea mid-project: write it down, don't build it. Put it on a list and come back to it when the cycle is complete.
The Bottom Line
Your time doesn't belong only to the project in your hands; it belongs to every client waiting for you. Polishing is great, but it has its moment. A house with a stunning chandelier and no plumbing is a house nobody can live in.
Want to Skip These Mistakes?
If you are building a business or a system from scratch and want to avoid these mistakes from day one, talk to us directly.
Message us on WhatsAppLearn more about Alaa Samir, founder of Darory, or send us a message.
The Early-Stage Mistakes Series
- Episode 1: Hiring Before the Work Is Stable: The Most Expensive Mistake of My Early Days
- Episode 2: Polishing One Part While the Whole Project Waits
- Episode 3: "A Technical Fault": The Vague Answer That Almost Cost Us Our Clients
- Episode 4: No Real Rest for the Founder: When Breakdowns Come at the Worst Time
