Narrow scope, set decision rights, use proof as the referee, and test in-market instead of debating internally.

Derailment comes from too many opinions and no decision framework. Prevent it by: (1) scoping to priority roles, (2) naming a single decision owner, (3) using proof/employee reality as constraints, and (4) timeboxing feedback rounds. Replace committee debate with market testing: run messaging variants in outreach/job posts and let conversion data decide. Also separate “brand preferences” from “candidate decisions.” If it doesn’t improve apply/reply/accept, it’s not the right hill to die on. Becoming choosable requires speed, focus, and evidence.