The next culture tenet I wanted to share is "Don't Polish the Apple". Now, I used to work for a food retailer, but this is not about polishing actual apples (and I do encourage you to polish your apples before eating, because who doesn't love a shiny, delicious apple?).
"Don't Polish the Apple" means "Do What Needs to be Done, and Don't Add Unnecessary Bells and Whistles" (again, metaphorical bells and whistles). This is very similar to those who use the language of "good enough" and no better. I think a lot of people misunderstand this... they hear "good enough" and they somehow interpret that as "not good". This is not the case at all. You need to be aware of what "good enough" is for the particular situation.
"Good enough" for life-saving medical equipment might mean "as close to perfect as possible." "Good enough" for other things is likely a much lower bar, and you need to recognize that and not apply the same level of 'polish' to all work.
I've worked with plenty of people who (and even on teams that had a policy of) try to deliver 'plus 1' or "under promise, overdeliver". Those that just keep tweaking and refining and adding. The intention is noble, but this is not productive, usually. One, it can cause the work to never be delivered (or delivered late) because of the refining/enhancing/polishing. Two, that extra work overdelivering could be applied to the next "good enough" delivery. Three, you will often find that unnecessary features or content ends up not being used and just causes another area needing maintenance.
So, while that shiny apple certainly has its appeal (seriously, I was not attempting a pun there), you need to keep in mind that you get the nutrients you need without all the extra polish. Try to temper your mindset of delivering perfection or delivering extra with a very realistic view of what your company or your business users or your customers actually need at the moment. Much better use of your time.
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