Close Enough is Underrated
Going against conventional thinking.
11/5/22
Looking back at many of the decisions I’ve made - in life, in business, and in investing - a common thread emerges: close enough has often been good enough. While the pursuit of perfection might sound ideal, in practice it’s often unnecessary, and worse, can become an obstacle to meaningful progress.
Most of the heavy lifting in any decision comes from getting the direction right and taking timely action. The fine-tuning can come later. Perfection, while admirable, can be slow, expensive, and in many cases, overrated. That’s not an argument for mediocrity, it’s an embrace of momentum over paralysis.
I’ve never claimed to be a world-class expert in any single domain, but I’ve made a habit of acting decisively when it matters most. And that willingness to move, even without perfect information, has produced consistently strong outcomes over time.
The Travel Analogy
Let’s start simple. When you plan a trip, do you need to lock in every hour of every day, each meal, every sightseeing stop, and all logistics in advance? Or can you just book your flight and hotel, sketch out a few highlights, and let the rest unfold on the ground? Most of us intuitively know the latter works fine. Yet when it comes to bigger decisions - career moves, investments, even relocations - we can freeze, endlessly analyzing instead of acting.
Making the Move
Years ago, I noticed early signals that e-commerce might change my industry. I wasn’t the first mover, and I didn’t have the slickest launch, but I got a site live, shipped product, and learned fast. That “good enough” launch ended up becoming a major turning point for the business. If I’d waited for the perfect timing, the perfect partners, the perfect pitch, I’d likely still be waiting.
Later, during the COVID years, I made another pivotal move. When conditions in my home country started to shift dramatically - restrictions, mandates, border controls - I made a decision to leave. I’d heard about a small island from a friend and figured it was worth exploring. I didn’t know everything. But I acted. That decision gave me a level of personal freedom that many still long for.
Investing with a Compass, Not a Microscope
I apply this same “close enough” framework to investing. Take the global fiat system. I don’t need to predict every central bank move, rate shift, or fiscal tweak. The broad direction is clear: currencies are being debased. So I made a significant allocation to Bitcoin, which I view as sound money. It started as a hedge, then later as I learnt more it became much bigger.
Avoiding Paralysis
Over the years, I’ve watched many people hesitate. They overanalyze, seek reassurance, delay. Sometimes they miss out entirely. I’ve always had a bit of a bias toward action, and that’s been a competitive advantage. If you’ve developed sound instincts over time, trust them. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Often, a directionally correct move, taken at the right time, is far more powerful than waiting for the perfect play.
As Churchill said, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.”
Knowing When “Close Enough” Applies
Of course, this mindset has its limits. It’s not a license to act carelessly or without preparation. If you’re unfamiliar with a field, don’t rush in blindly. But if you’ve put in the work, built a base of knowledge, and you’re staring at an opportunity — don’t let perfection hold you back.
You don’t need to be an expert in everything. But being informed enough to act decisively, that’s a rare and valuable skill.
As Salvador Dali once said, “Have no fear of perfection — you’ll never reach it.”
So the next time you’re faced with a decision, ask yourself:
Is your instinct grounded in experience?
Do you have a reasonable sense of what’s likely?
What’s the worst-case scenario if you’re slightly off?
If “close enough” gets you moving, and keeps you from stalling out, then it’s not a compromise, it’s a strategy.
It’s worked for me. Maybe it’ll work for you too.
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