I assume the idea is that the initial impulse was in the right area, but the first attempt itself isn’t quite correct. So you learned a bunch and therefore are

I assume the idea is that the initial impulse was in the right area, but the first attempt itself isn’t quite correct. So you learned a bunch and therefore aren’t starting from scratch with the 2nd try. I.e. you make some environmental tool and try to sell it to the government. You learn that the government is a byzantine mess. You then sell the tool as part of a service to the corporations causing the mess to prevent future lawsuits. You pivoted, but the tool itself still had value.