The Done Manifesto / Cult of Done

What is it?

The "Done Manifesto" by Bre Pettis and Kio Stark serves as an antidote to the paralysis of perfectionism that often hinders the creative process. This manifesto is a list of principles that prioritize action over endless planning, deliberation, or procrastination. At its core, the manifesto argues for the value of completion. It asserts that making something exist in the world, even if imperfect, is more valuable than leaving an idea unrealized. The notion is that the process of creating, releasing, and iterating is a far more effective and fulfilling approach than trying to perfect something in isolation. In an era of information overload and endless possibilities, the "Done Manifesto" is a rallying cry for creators to push past doubts and barriers and to embrace the act of finishing.

The individual tenets of the manifesto address various hurdles and mindsets that creators often face. For instance, one of the principles states that "perfection is a myth," challenging the often self-imposed and unrealistic standards that can keep a project in limbo indefinitely. Another stresses the importance of making decisions quickly and moving on, highlighting that prolonged indecision is itself a decision – a decision to not progress. Through these principles, Pettis and Stark advocate for a balance between thinking and doing, suggesting that while reflection and planning have their place, they should not come at the expense of tangible action and results. The "Done Manifesto" serves as a reminder that in the act of doing, we learn, evolve, and pave the way for further creation.

The manifesto

1. There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.
2. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done.
3. There is no editing stage.
4. Pretending you know what you’re doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t and do it.
5. Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.
6. The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.
7. Once you’re done you can throw it away.
8. Laugh at perfection. It’s boring and keeps you from being done.
9. People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.
10. Failure counts as done. So do mistakes.
11. Destruction is a variant of done.
12. If you have an idea and publish it on the internet, that counts as a ghost of done.
13. Done is the engine of more.

Illustration

Here is a gorgeous illlustraion of the steps, by James Provost. Link to blog

Video

Additionally: a wonderful youtube video on the subject by "No Boilerplate" here