The pattern is depressingly consistent. A key role opens up urgently. We need someone now. The gap is causing real pain. So we lower our bar and hire faster than we should. Six months later we're having difficult conversations with that hire. They're not working out. The fit isn't right. The skills aren't quite there. The inevitable conclusion is parting ways and starting the search again from scratch. The total cost is worse than waiting would have been. Salary during the failed tenure. Time spent onboarding and managing. Team disruption from the departure. Months to find and ramp their replacement. The urgency that made us hire fast created a longer gap than patience would have. Now we resist urgency in hiring even when it's uncomfortable. Better to redistribute work temporarily, delay projects, or bring in contractors than to make a permanent hire under pressure. The desperation hire almost never works