Not to be outdone, be the first;

I'd rather stand in the front row than fall behind (others).

Note: This translation can also be used for admonition.

Lack of reason leads to success in work.

Those who study theory deeply will succeed in their work.

If this article is a warning, it can be changed to:

Before the work is successful, we should study the theory in depth.

The form of your translation can also be considered. For example, the first sentence is according to my meaning, consider changing it to:

Unwilling to lag behind. Dare to surpass others.

This change is also beautiful and has the nature of a slogan. But I always feel bad about expressing myself.

The second sentence you translated is not easy to correct. It is ok to discuss the theory in depth, but it is not appropriate to use make in the future.