The Core Concept

Traditional work culture often demands getting things right the first time. AI collaboration works best with an iterative mindset – starting with good enough, getting feedback, and refining rapidly.

This shift from perfection to iteration doesn’t imply lowering standards; it implies reaching higher standards more efficiently through rapid learning cycles.

The goal is to embrace “rough draft excellence” where you create multiple iterations to reach optimal outcomes.

The Metaphor: The Sculptor’s Approach

A sculptor doesn’t start with a tiny chisel trying to create perfect detail on the first strike. They begin with rough tools to establish the basic shape, then progressively use finer tools to add detail and refinement.

Each pass reveals new possibilities and challenges that weren’t visible at the start.

AI collaboration follows this same pattern: Start with broad strokes, then iterate toward precision.

The final sculpture is far better than what could have been achieved trying to perfect each detail from the beginning.

The Professional Story

Jennifer, a product manager, used to spend days perfecting her requirements documents before sharing them with stakeholders.

She’d second-guess every detail, trying to anticipate every possible question or scenario.

This perfectionist approach slowed down product development and often missed important stakeholder insights.

She adopted the sculptor’s approach with AI assistance. She’d use AI to help create a rough requirements draft in an hour, then share it with stakeholders for feedback.

The AI could quickly incorporate their suggestions into the next iteration.

Instead of one “perfect” document after a week, she created five increasingly refined versions over three days. And the final result was far better because it incorporated real stakeholder input rather than her assumptions about what they needed.

She learned that perfection happens through iteration, not prolonged isolation.

Try This Today

1. Identify a Perfection Project: What current work are you trying to perfect before sharing or implementing? Choose one item that you’ve been polishing too long.

2. Create a Rough Draft with AI: Use AI to help you create a “good enough” version of this work in 25% of the time you planned to spend on it.

3. Get Real Feedback: Share this rough draft with someone whose input matters (colleague, client, stakeholder) and use their feedback for the next iteration. Notice how external input improves the work beyond what internal perfecting could achieve.

Daily Integration Phrase:

“Excellence emerges through iteration, not initial perfection.”