heard a podcast today about netflix — marc randolph said: “hard work often doesn’t change the outcome.” brutal, but true. most people’s “hard work” is just bleeding out on the details, using sweat to cover for a flawed direction. better to leave early than to sprint at the gate — that’s called strategy, not damage control. same in business. when the core direction is wrong, last-minute deck edits, obsessing over details, or fighting for presence — all wasted motion. of course, early-stage startups are a different beast. no experience, no network — you survive by grinding, by clawing out time. but that’s effort traded for survival, not hustle fixing a broken plan. if the path is wrong, effort is meaningless. worst case? you’re sprinting the wrong way with full confidence. don’t polish a turd. stop. change direction. nothing’s more important than that.