Sometimes that’s all you really need.
I sent a document I was working on to Jeff Widman last week, asking for some quick feedback. His comments boiled down to:
“You’ve done really well on these two things, but you’re slacking with this other one. You can do better.”
And then he prompted me with a quick example.
After working on something for long enough, it’s really easy to fall into the “wow, this is amazing!” trap. After all, you’ve been working on it for hours, if not days! It’s come so far from the blank page it used to be.
Still, you’re missing something. Guaranteed. You’re almost there, but you need a swift kick in the ass to cross the finish line.
As we’ve both observed in private conversation, people with the willingness to politely apply a discerning kick are rare…
I hope years in the future we’re still trading kicks and compliments.
Aidan,
I’ve joked with Jeff that this one of the things I really appreciate and respect about him. I think at first people are a bit taken aback, but if the advice is sound I’m always thankful.
For me, it’s not even so much that I think I’ve come so far and it’s a good piece, but just that I’m one set of eyes and I’d love a fresh perspective from someone not as close to the project.
Insightful post, and easy to digest. My favorite kind.
R
Thanks for the kind words, guys! And Ryan, are we saying the same thing in different words, or something different entirely?
I didn’t think that what I made was as good as it could be, but was looking for someone else to check it out for a second and help look, because I find myself becoming less and less discerning with each self-edit.
Do you have the same/similar experience, or does your desire for a fresh perspective come out of something else entirely?