You know the most clichéd thing people say in interviews?
“I’m a perfectionist. That’s my biggest weakness.”
Let’s call it out for what it is: a half-truth dressed up to sound like a compliment. It’s supposed to show humility, attention to detail, self-awareness. But here’s the thing—perfectionism can be a real weakness. Not in the way we like to pretend. Not as a humblebrag. But as something that quietly creeps into every crack of your life, paralyzing you.
And I’m saying this as someone who knows the feeling far too well.
The Real Danger
Perfectionism gives you the best excuse to never act.
“If it’s not going to be perfect, what’s the point of even starting?”
Sound familiar?
That mindset is poison. It stops you from taking risks, from trying new things, from even exploring ideas that feel slightly uncomfortable. And the worst part? You end up fooling yourself into thinking you're being reasonable or disciplined, when really, you’re just scared.
Scared to fail. Scared to look silly. Scared of not being good enough.
For years, I used perfectionism to justify not doing things I wanted to do. Writing. Building side projects. Sharing work publicly. Trying new technologies. If I couldn’t do it at a high level straight away, I’d rather not do it at all. Because at least that way, I couldn’t fail.
But that’s not perfectionism. That’s fear wearing a clean shirt.
Nobody Starts an Expert
It sounds obvious, but we all need to hear it again sometimes: nobody starts out great at anything. You become good by doing the thing. By failing, iterating, learning, improving. You don’t get to skip that process, no matter how many tutorials you watch or how well you plan.
Perfection isn’t just an impossible standard: it’s a terrible goal. Because it tricks you into thinking the journey doesn’t matter. That the messy middle isn’t where growth happens. And it is.
Imperfection Is Where the Good Stuff Happens
Lately, I’ve been trying to reframe how I see imperfection. Instead of something to avoid, I’m learning to embrace it.
Imperfection is the edge case. The bug you didn’t expect. The wrong answer that leads to the right question. It’s the friction that forces reflection. It’s what makes your thinking sharper and your work better.
And, honestly? It’s what makes things beautiful. Whether it’s code, writing, design, or life itself. Imperfection is what makes it human.
Perfectionism as a Developer
Looking back, I regret the times I played it too safe. Times I didn’t volunteer for a project or try a new technology because I was worried I wouldn’t be “good enough.” Times I stayed quiet in meetings because I didn’t want to say something that wasn’t fully thought through. I wasn’t being careful. I was hiding.
Eventually, I had to face myself. I had to look at the scared version of me, hiding behind excuses, and say: you’re not doing this because you’re a perfectionist. You’re doing this because you’re afraid.
And that hit hard.
But it also pushed me forward. Slowly, I started changing the way I operate. I started doing things even if I knew they’d be rough around the edges. I shipped small features I wasn’t 100% sure about. I published writing that wasn’t edited to death. I said “yes” to things that made me uncomfortable.
And guess what? I learned. I grew. I built momentum.
The Truth Now
I don’t chase perfection anymore. I chase progress.
I still get scared. I still hesitate. But I remind myself that waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect plan, the perfect version of me. That’s just another delay tactic. And I’ve got too many things I still want to do.
So no, I’m not perfect.
I don’t want to be.
I’d rather be real, in motion, and learning every step of the way.