After some mail exchanges, the owner and I had a brief call. Right at the beginning of the talks, I had been very transparent about my salary expectations, because I believe if the min. criteria do not align, innitiating the interview process would be a poor investment of time for all participants. I was assured that my expectations would be met, and thus agreed to deliver a sample work (strategy, consulting, text/press release). After a timely delivery, the feedback was positive and I received an offer. I was delighted until I saw that the suggested salary was far below the above mentioned minimum. After inquiring, I have been told that my expected salary was currently not in the range of budget. Therefore, while the interview up until then was a pleasant and professional process, I was rather disappointed about how my time had been treated.