Maximizing vs. Satisficing: Why Product Managers Must Master ‘Good Enough’ to Stay Ahead

Because progress emerges not from perfection, but from the courage to act!

Let’s set the scene: You’re standing in a pizza shop in New York, scrolling Yelp while the line builds behind you. One review says, “Best slice in town!” Another says, “Overrated.” A third insists, “Try the place across the street.” You hesitate, unsure.

Ten minutes later, you’ve still got no pizza—just a hangry crowd and the creeping realization that perfection is out of reach.

Welcome to Maximizing.

The truth is, maximizing every decision isn’t just exhausting—it’s a trap. In product management, it doesn’t matter if your roadmap is a masterpiece of optimisation if you’re stuck in place while the market moves.

What product management really needs isn’t more maximizers. It’s people who know when to make a call, ship the feature, and adapt. Spoiler: the perfect decision doesn’t exist. But progress? That’s always within reach.

The Hidden Trap of Being a Maximizer

Maximizing feels like you’re chasing excellence, but what you’re really chasing is control—or worse, the avoidance of regret.

Picture this: You’re evaluating two feature requests. The maximizer in you wants the perfect answer—the one that skyrockets metrics, wows users, and earns you accolades at the next all-hands. So, you dive in: 12 user interviews, 52-tab spreadsheet, three competitive analyses, and one existential crisis later, you’ve got your answer.

Except now you’ve got a problem. You’ve spent so long optimizing that:

• The market shifted.

• A competitor launched.

• Your team is drained from endless debates.

Worse, you’ve trained your team to expect analysis paralysis. They’ve stopped bringing up bold ideas or offering quick solutions because they know every decision will take weeks of overthinking.

Maximizing creates a culture of inaction and perfectionism. It’s not about adding value—it’s about avoiding mistakes. And that’s where it fails. Product success isn’t about avoiding every risk; it’s about moving forward, learning, and adapting.

Pause for Thought: “Maximizing” is like planning the perfect vacation for years, only to realize you’ve never left your desk.

The Satisficer’s Secret: Progress Beats Perfection

Let’s redefine what it means to “succeed” in product management. Success isn’t about making the perfect decision upfront—it’s about making decisions that create momentum.

Enter the satisficer: the unsung hero of product management.

Satisficers don’t settle—they prioritize action. They know when something is good enough to ship, test, and iterate. While maximizers obsess over theoretical perfection, satisficers get real-world results.

Think of satisficing as the 80/20 rule in action: Focus on the 20% of work that delivers 80% of the impact. Perfection can wait for iteration.

Practical Examples

• Amazon’s Early Launch Strategy: Amazon is famous for launching quickly and refining relentlessly. Jeff Bezos once said, “If you wait for 90% certainty, you’re probably moving too slow.” This is the essence of satisficing: act on 70% certainty and let customer feedback guide the rest.

• Google’s Rapid Testing: Google’s original search algorithm was far from perfect at launch. But by releasing it early and continuously iterating based on user behavior, it became the juggernaut it is today.

Real-Life Application:

I witnessed a brilliant example of satisficing in action from a product leader at a fast-growing meal kit delivery company. Faced with two competing feature requests, their team had to make a tough decision:

1. Customizable meal plans: A flashy feature allowing users to swap ingredients for dietary preferences, supported by marketing as a way to attract new users.

2. Fast reordering for past meals: A simpler but practical feature enabling customers to quickly reorder their favorite recipes, championed by customer success to reduce churn.

The stakes were high, and maximizing would have been easy to fall into—spending weeks analyzing every potential outcome, debating stakeholder preferences, and building exhaustive models to find the “perfect” feature to deliver. But this product leader knew that progress beats perfection.

Instead, they satisficed:

• They prioritized the business goal. The quarterly focus was on retention, and data showed churn was spiking due to customers’ frustration with reordering meals they liked. The reordering feature directly aligned with this goal.

• They balanced speed with complexity. Customizable meal plans were exciting but complex, requiring significant resources and time. Reordering could be built faster and provide measurable results immediately.

• They embraced iteration. The leader didn’t aim to deliver a flawless solution right away. By choosing reordering, they could test quickly, gather feedback, and refine over time.

In just some weeks, the team shipped the fast reordering feature, delivering a 25% increase in repeat orders, an 18% drop in churn, and enthusiastic customer feedback that guided future improvements.

Maximizing would have meant chasing a theoretical “perfect” decision, leading to delays and wasted effort. Satisficing let this product leader focus on what mattered most—delivering timely, high-impact results. Watching this unfold firsthand reminded me how true leadership lies in clarity and action, not endless deliberation.

Pause for Thought: “Satisficing” is like grabbing the nearest taxi in the rain—you get where you need to go faster, without overthinking the rid

Why High-Performing Teams Embrace Satisficing

Maximizing might seem like the “safe” move, but satisficing delivers results. Here’s why high-performing teams swear by it:

1. Faster Decisions:
   Maximizers delay for data. Satisficers move, test, and iterate before the maximizers even make a call.

2. Adaptable Strategies:
   Forget rigid 12-month roadmaps. Satisficers work in sprints, trusting user feedback to shape the future.

3. Stronger Morale:
   Teams thrive under satisficers. Nothing drains morale like endless revisions and reopened decisions. Satisficers build trust by moving forward with confidence.

Suggested Reading for Deeper Insights

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: A deep dive into decision-making biases and why satisficing often beats maximizing.

• Lean Startup by Eric Ries: Explores why rapid experimentation and feedback loops are more valuable than perfection.

• Measure What Matters by John Doerr: A practical guide to setting actionable goals that prioritize progress over perfection.

Final Thought

Maximizing every decision is like trying to navigate a maze—doubling back, analyzing every turn, and searching endlessly for the “perfect” path. Sure, you might eventually find your way, but by then, the market has moved, your team is exhausted, and your competition is three steps ahead.

Satisficing takes a different approach. It’s not about settling—it’s about moving forward. It’s about knowing when “good enough” is exactly what’s needed to act, aligning with your goals, and trusting feedback to refine the rest.

Great product leaders know this: progress isn’t the result of flawless decisions. It’s the outcome of bold, deliberate choices made in the face of uncertainty. It’s the art of momentum—keeping your team moving forward, adapting, and building on what you’ve learned.

It’s the core of a mindset I’ve been shaping: MOVE - Product Decision Thinking. A practical framework designed for leaders who thrive on progress, not perfection.

I’ll be sharing more about this soon—a framework built for leaders who want to master the art of progress. But for now, carry this with you:

The next time you’re stuck debating a decision, ask yourself—are you maximizing for flawless, or satisficing for forward momentum?