The “A Little Bit Better” Obsession
Why are you hiding your joke from the audience? Don’t worry about feeding them your punch line a little bit stronger.”
Stephen Colbert, around 13m in
I find myself worrying about making the thing better. I’ve avoided any marketing efforts for Fizzle because I don’t think it’s ready yet.
I do so unconsciously. The thought will never naturally cross my mind to start pushing to get more people in. This is something my partner had to bring up to me.
It’s not ready. There are pieces missing that complete the intelligence of the thing. There are bits that, once created and installed, will make illuminate the artistry of the whole thing.
This is what it’s like to make a thing. A product. A website. A song. To be the kind of person who makes something, who has taste, who wants to please and impress people.
We all sound like this. Every one of us who’s making the thing.
We all struggle with this. Every one of us.
In this phenomenal interview with Stephen Colbert, Stephen shows us how he obsessed over making the joke better, making the punchline stronger, more of a payoff.
And then a mentor said the quote above. Get to the punchline. Cook faster. Don’t worry about making it a little bit stronger.
“A little bit stronger…” That’s where you get lost. Making things a little bit better, a little more flair, a bit more humanity, a little bit stronger.
Fizzle is already an amazing product. Raving fans, people using it to grow businesses that have been stale for years, people inside are reclaiming their creativity and hope, fizzlers are growing so much more confident and comfortable in their own skin as they make their things.
It’s already a good. Acknowledge that. Throw a little party in yourself. Celebrate it. Mark it on the calendar. Put a flag in the ground. Give yourself an honest pat on the back and one of those 100 Grand candy bars.
You’ve done something. You have. Draw up a thoughtful conclusion and end that chapter well before moving on to the next chapter.
Because I’m starting to worry that you’ll never be satisfied with the things you make.
And if they never feel good enough, you have to create your own milestones and throw your own lil’ parties.
