Melanie Perkins
The Embarrassing First Step
Inspired by Melanie Perkins episode
Melanie Perkins shipped Canva's embarrassing first version anyway—just like you'll survive your toddler's first public tantrum.
Melanie Perkins talks about Canva's first version with a laugh. So basic. So limited. So far from the vision. She shipped it anyway. The gap between vision and version one is always enormous.
You had a vision for yourself as a parent. Gentle. Patient. Someone who explains feelings with hand puppets. Then you had an actual child and the first version was you bribing them with chocolate chips at 9 a.m. to put on pants.
You lost your temper over a sticker. You let them watch Bluey for three hours straight while you sat on the couch questioning every life choice that led to this moment. You said "because I said so" after swearing you never would.
But you can't iterate without shipping. Version one is supposed to be embarrassing. That's the whole point. You learn what works by actually doing it in front of witnesses, not by hiding until you're perfect.
Ship the mortifying first draft. It gets less mortifying. Slowly.
