My first interview was virtual, with the hiring manager. She remained offscreen the entire time. Yellow flag. I was told I was the top candidate and would be meeting with the CEO next. Instead, I was asked to create a significant body of original work. It amounted to $5-$10K of PMM/GTM consulting: expert market positioning, product differentiation, messaging tied to revenue impact and actionable recommendations to build awareness. All very specific to Hadrius. All in < 72 hours. Huge red flag but I agreed. I trusted the business sense of Hadrius leadership if nothing else. I mean, who hates 3x growth (my track record) and loves reputational risk (with my network)? I got my answer in a tersely worded note: thank you for completing the “writing exercise” and good luck. Wow!