Minimum Viable Readiness
I started Jiu-Jitsu a few months ago. My daughter started, so I had to get rolling as well. Classes are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8am. A 25-minute drive.
To feel ready, I had to:
- Wake up early enough
- Drink a liter of water
- Have a coffee
- Shower
- Cut my nails
- Mentally prepare
- Leave with time to arrive early
If I missed one, I wouldn’t go. It became an all-or-nothing checklist. It felt like I had to earn the right to show up.
One morning, I woke up late. Too late to do it all. Almost skipped. But I went anyway.
I arrived five minutes late. Still sweaty. Still rolling. Still learning. Full value. Nothing lost.
That’s when I realized:
You don’t need everything. You just need enough.
Not maximum readiness. Minimum viable readiness.
It’s the same with shipping. New feature. New product. New idea. We wait until it ticks every box. But that day never comes. Instead of asking “Is it ready?” Ask: What’s the minimum viable readiness here? Then ship it. Show up. Start rolling.
Thank you Derek Sivers for helping me with this lesson. Worth a read: https://sive.rs/andor.