The Power of Iterative Engineering

Or, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

I’m an over planner. There’s no arguing it.

My very first boss drilled into my head “We never have time to do it right, but we always have time to do it again.”

But now I’m starting to realize that sometimes the temporary solution or repair is the right one for now. Sometimes, I need to do real world testing to find the flaws in my designs.

I’m starting to embrace iteration.

The breakdown table is a prime example. I’m currently on the third version. I may make the table top smaller, as it’s just a bit to large to pack nicely in the Excursion.

The camp kitchen is another example. Mk.1 was fine, but not perfect. It didn’t pack well, but we used it for seven years.

Software companies iterate everything, which is why updating your computer, tablet, and phone is a constant task.

But not everything can be iterated.

My living room wall had to be perfect the first time. I put so many holes in the wall between hanging cabinets and fishing wires that it will be easier to pull down the sheet rock than repair the existing. I’ve told my wife she can change that wall after I’m not living in this house any longer. She said, the next owners can deal with it.

Part of the reason for the extended pause on the Excursion build is my fear of reworking a project. But realistically I need to acknowledge that anything I can do once, I can do a second time.

As long as I don’t cut into the plastic panels on the truck. Some of those will be impossible to replace.

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