[thrownaway2424]

But what if you just need the job done? Sometimes you're hiring for a position you expect to make a deep impact on the success of your startup, sometimes you just need the project written. In the latter case Ms. Intercept might get the job done in a week while Mr. Slope will take six months in some cases. All the aptitude in the world won't compensate for experience when time is a factor. Experience knows how to do the job on day zero, even if they aren't any better at it after they're done. The time you save from hiring Ms. Intercept as your first programmer might even buy you some extra time to find exactly the right person to be your superstar hire.

[vanderZwan]

Oosterhout had that covered:

> And if the Y-axis is something good, depending on your definition of something good, then I think most people would pick the red trajectory over the blue trajectory (..unless you think you're going to die before you get to the crossing point).

[vinceguidry]

These days, you'd be best off contracting it out.