A friend once shared a powerful story with me. He spoke about a lion chasing a deer and how this chase symbolizes the effort we put into our goals. It got me thinking—how often do we feel like we’ve wasted our time, energy, and resources when things don’t work out as expected?

In the wild, a lion puts immense effort into hunting. It stalks its prey with patience, waits for the right moment, and then sprints at full speed. But despite all this effort, the lion fails in 8 out of 10 hunts. Does it stop hunting? No. It simply tries again.

The Illusion of Wasted Efforts

As humans, we tend to focus only on the outcome. If we succeed, we feel our efforts were justified. If we fail, we feel our time was wasted. But let’s challenge this thought—was the effort really wasted?

Think about it:

• Every failed hunt makes the lion faster and smarter.
• Every missed opportunity teaches an entrepreneur what not to do.
• Every rejection helps a leader refine their pitch, their approach, and their resilience.

In reality, there is no wasted effort—only lessons learned.

How This Applies to Business & Leadership

I’ve seen this play out in my own entrepreneurial journey. In business, we put in the effort to build something—a product, a strategy, a team. But when things don’t go as planned, we start questioning if we’ve been wasting our time.

Take startups, for example. Founders pivot all the time. What seems like a failure today might be a stepping stone to something greater tomorrow. The only real wasted effort is giving up too soon or not learning from failures.

Here’s how this lesson applies to leadership and entrepreneurship:

• Founders: You may have spent months working on a business model, only to realize the market isn’t ready. Instead of feeling defeated, ask: What did I learn? How can I adapt?
• Sales Leaders: You may have made 100 pitches and only closed 5 deals. Instead of focusing on the 95 rejections, focus on refining your strategy based on what worked.
• Teams & Employees: You may have worked hard on a project that was later scrapped. But did you improve a skill? Did you build relationships? That knowledge stays with you.

The Power of Being Bootstrapped: A Lesson in Persistence

When you’re bootstrapped, every decision matters. You don’t have the luxury of burning cash without seeing results. While venture-backed startups can afford to experiment wildly, bootstrapped businesses have one advantage: discipline.

1. Bootstrapping forces you to:
   Focus on what works instead of chasing trends.
2. Make profitable decisions instead of just ambitious ones.
3. Treat every failure as a lesson rather than a setback.

Yes, bootstrapping is tough. But it builds resilience—just like the lion learning from every failed chase.

Final Takeaway: Keep Chasing, Keep Learning

Every attempt, every struggle, and every setback is fuel for growth. The only true failure is stopping before you succeed.

• So, the next time you feel frustrated about “wasted effort,” ask yourself:
  Did I learn something?
• Did I refine my approach?
• Am I better prepared for my next challenge?

If the answer is yes, then nothing was wasted.

Like the lion, keep chasing. Keep learning. And trust that every effort—successful or not—is shaping you into someone who will eventually win.

Your Thoughts?

Have you ever felt like your efforts were wasted, only to realize later that they contributed to your success? I’d love to hear your experiences. Drop an email or share your thoughts at venkat@venkatgudipati.com