Ira Glass said it better than anyone: when you start out, there’s a gap between your taste and your ability. You can see what good looks like. You just can’t make it yet.
Most people interpret this as a problem to solve. Get better. Close the gap. But I think the gap is the useful thing. It’s your compass.
The founders I coach who build the most interesting companies have outsized taste. They can look at a product, a process, a pitch deck and immediately feel what’s off. They can’t always articulate it. They definitely can’t always fix it. But they know.
This isn’t about being picky. It’s about having a clear sense of quality that runs ahead of your current capability. The gap creates productive tension. It keeps you from settling.
The danger isn’t having a taste gap. It’s losing your taste entirely, getting so deep in execution that you stop noticing what good looks like.
Keep your taste sharp. The gap will close on its own if you keep working.