The beauty of imperfection, the elegance of the missing piece.

 

LaoTzu once said,

"Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;

It is the center hole that makes it useful.

Shape clay into a vessel;

It is the space within that makes it useful.

Cut doors and windows for a room;

It is the holes which make it useful.

Therefore benefit comes from what is there;

Usefulness from what is not there."

Here is the Chinese original version,

In other words, a masterpiece is made up of what are that included and what are that excluded. Imperfection leaves rooms for improvement, while the missing piece evokes imagination and creativity to fill the gap. Take a look at the image below. What do you see?

So next time when the users have requested you to add this and that into the requirement list that will eventually blow up the scope, do not just focus on what should be included. Take a step back and give some serious thoughts on what should be excluded as well. Sometimes, excluding certain things can make the world a whole lot better.