It all depends on what you are reading about.
It could be burning out instead of completion... like quitting school instead of graduating... or forgetting to fill out the paper work for grants, so there's no $ to go to school... something stopped the progress, so there is no completion, no commencement nor cause for celebration.
I think of 4 Wands as putting down foundations for further growth and development, so reversed it wasn't solidly built or not finished for one reason or another. Things got so far and then stalled out.