Not entirely untrue. I've billed 50% of a project's hours as "still waiting for system access."

Granted, that was a pathologically bad customer, but it happens.

The ironic thing is the question you usually get from them is "Do you have access yet?"

It's your system and your company! How do you not know the answer to that question?!

> Deloitte doesn’t usually hire dummies. IME it’s always the client being a total swamp creature.

This has not been my experience, which is really to say that the world is big enough that you can find any combination of blame imaginable somewhere. Once you have misaligned incentives no part of the dynamic can be relied on not to cause problems.

When billing hourly it is more profitable (and not always ethical) to hire average people than top performers in every role.

This is true, too often, in poorly run and ineffective consulting firms who optimize best practices to mean what is best for them.

It’s not a great look but it’s usually quite literally what the client is paying them for. I view the companies maximizing revenue the same way I’d view a shark: it’s what they are, and you can always choose not to jump into the water.