Rule 5: The Art of Completion

“Real artists ship” — Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was known for his passion for design and innovation in the field of technology and was able to lead Apple Inc. to become one of the most highly valued companies to exist. However, he also had an appreciation for the arts and recognized the importance of creative expression.

In one of his famous quotes, Jobs said, “Real artists ship.” This means that true artists don’t just create art for themselves; they produce and share it with the world. They complete their projects and present them to their audience, rather than endlessly tweaking and perfecting them without ever releasing them (see Dr. Dre’s Detox).

Most artists struggle with closing out a project. Whether it’s fear of of rejection or an endless pursuit of perfection, at some point the project needs to be closed out so that the marketing and promotion of the finished product can be released. Only I. The event of completely unsatisfactory recordings or a lack of enough sonically and professionally satisfactory material should the deadline be moved.

For artists, you’re going to always make better and better art so you should think of any project as just a snapshot in time. If you can manage to consistently release enough material even if you do release something that you’re not proud of, if you release another project that year the dud just becomes another page in the book.

For managers, it’s your job to keep your client happy but also on a schedule that’s not too erratic for the rest of the team.