What does it take to build something great? The courage to give up what was good enough. Good enough is the enemy of great.
Creating space for greatness
Darshini, product head for an AI firm, worked hard with her team to rebuild their flagship product from scratch. Within a week of launch, signups exceeded targets. The town hall celebrated their success.
When asked about the toughest challenge, Darshini didn’t hesitate: “Letting go of something that worked well so far.”
Her journey was not smooth. She faced with two major hurdles
- To inspire colleagues with bold vision
- To convince external stakeholders that the new product would deliver better outcomes.
Resistance was inevitable. Yet Darshini reframed every “no” as hesitation, not rejection. Her mantra was simple: maintain momentum, stay on course. Slowly, people turned around.
“I did not let go of the core vision of the product.” She finally said. That conviction carried her through uncertainty.
It is hard to reimagine something from scratch when inertia sets in, and stakes are high. Progress often begins with subtraction. You let go of what is merely good to create space for what can be great.
For your reflection
- What is ‘good enough” in your life and work that is holding you back?
- If you dare to reimagine, what would you rebuild?
“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates, from the book Way of the Peaceful Warrior