As someone who tends to do the same, I don't think this is a good description of what is happening. The way I view it is that any project has the same progression of initial excitement, frenzied work and determination, discovery of the real scope, the descent into the Valley of Despair as you continue to wrestle with the problem and then the fork in the road where you either give up and abandon the work or you persevere through the Dark Forest of Unknowns where your progress is often measured in inches until you climb the Hill of Competency where you can again make meaningful gains and catch a second wind until you enter the Swamp of Drudgery where you again must slog your way through until you reach the base of Mount Perfection where you can finally ship it.