Yes. Determination is essential for success but does not guarantee success.

Kind of like how virtually all great cooking requires salt, but use of salt goes not guarantee a great dish.

After a good time of reflection, questioning mentors etc… Maybe it’s better to press on (in the wrong direction) and learn from it than do nothing and contemplate what we could do or achieve or debate for hours/weeks/months to know if it’s the right decision.

Sure, but we're talking about "persistence" and dedication on the scale of "I built a complex piece of software"