The Finite Opportunity Theorem: Time-Limited Conditions for Success

In competitive social systems, success is often treated as a function of accumulated effort or talent. In this paper, we demonstrate that when effort accumulation is time-dependent and bounded, the absolute success condition translates into a finite time window for success. We derive a minimum required effort time and show that many domains possess an intrinsic deadline beyond which success becomes structurally impossible, regardless of sustained effort. This result explains phenomena such as early advantage, late entry penalties, and transient success.