Someone less prepared may pass you simply because they were willing to enter.

Preparation is not the only variable, and entering counts for a great deal. Someone less ready who is already inside is learning from real conditions, being seen, and accumulating chances, while a better-prepared person is still improving in private. The gap closes fast and then reverses.

If you keep concluding you are not ready, ask what readiness would look like and whether you would recognize it. Then enter slightly before that point, which is where most people who get anywhere actually begin.