A resume tells you what someone survived long enough to get paid for. What they do with their free time, their own money, and their own attention tells you who they actually are.

Every tattoo artist has a version of this story. The client walks in with total certainty, zero flexibility, and a reference image that belongs on a bumper sticker. What happens next is a masterclass in the difference between knowing what you want and knowing what you’re asking for.

Somewhere between the org chart expansions and the process certifications, the people who could actually build things started disappearing. We replaced them with people who manage the people who manage the tools.

Everyone wants the result without the process. That’s not efficiency. That’s just debt you haven’t paid yet, and the interest is compounding.