Starting with MVP
1. Context
Hello World. I’m rebuilding my website using Notion.
I over-perfect. Always reaching for “better” until the idea collapses under its own weight.
For most of my life I treated perfection like a fight, as if I could yank the pendulum back to center by sheer force. But pendulums don’t work that way. They swing, whether I like it or not. The only thing I control is how I use the time while it’s swinging.
So here I am. Sharing my journey online. Paying forward what I’ve gained from others who put their imperfect thoughts online. This Workbench is my place to do the same. Not polished. Just in motion.
2. What I Tried
I started with free tutorials on building Notion websites. Loved it!
Saw the potential for a PM’s dream system: a living CMS that doubles as a creative space.
But then the shiny objects showed up: Templates with slick HTML/CSS.
Design rabbit holes. My “let’s just start” turned into “let’s keep exploring” (aka: make it perfect).
Classic me.
3. What Happened
Days passed. The website looked prettier in my head, but my actual ideas sat untouched. No posts. No progress. My scrum master certification is disappointed with the backlogs.
Finally, I asked AI to coach me. Not to design, but to push. To remind me that MVP comes before polish.
Hallucinations or not. It was the mental kick in the pants I needed.
Between kids’ bedtimes and early mornings, I finally shipped this first field note. Not perfect. But real.
4. Takeaway
Done > Perfect. Practice > Stalling. Path > Destination.
The pendulum will always swing. Perfection isn’t a point to reach, it’s the motion that keeps you moving.
Swing on. Maybe with Sia’s Chandelier song in mind - there’s this clown opera singer version of it that I absolutely love.
5. Adapt This
If you’re stuck chasing perfect, try this:
- Sit with the struggle. Let it simmer like bone broth.
- When you hit the “why bother” stage, that’s your sign: You’ve probably got good enough to package and ship it.
- Then reflect. What did you learn about yourself in the process? Now apply it forward!
That cycle is the upgrade.
6. Reflection
I had a whole template to follow. I half-followed it. And that’s fine. This field note is “good enough.”
Which honestly, is the whole point.