The closer you get to a launch day, the more problems seem to pop up. Product decisions, brand questions, even naming decisions. These are the launch jitters. 

If you wrestle with perfectionist tendencies, these jitters may persuade you to slow the launch down. Maybe delay it by a week or a month, to get some things just right.

There is a time and place for this. If you’re working on a team, you need to assess how much trust slipping on a launch day costs you, what you might need to scope down on to make it, and how much more time you might need. 

If you’re working independently, it’s more useful to assess your own temperament. Do you have the energy to keep going after you delay a launch? 

For me, I like to set two days aside for a launch (e.g., Friday and Monday), which creates some flexibility. It’s more like a launch window.

If there’s not enough time, for me, I prefer erring on the side of making the deadline and, instead, scoping the project down. Once you launch, you can learn and improve. If you don’t launch, the project is still stuck in your head, and the pressure will only grow.

P.S., It helps to have a decision log for why you did certain things, so when you feel the jitters you can recollect your thought process.

P.P.S., If you feel like quitting at this point, don’t! Just put it out there, even if you feel like you’re limping to the finish line. The pressure alleviates after launch.