Don’t Compromise with the pace

Speed > Size: Why I Let Go of Two Big-Name Clients

Last month, I sat down with my recruitment team to review ongoing client interactions. Two of our clients — large, listed companies — stood out. Not for their scale, not for their brand value, but for something else entirely:

They were painfully slow.

• Delayed responses to emails.

• Weeks to process CVs.

• Endless approval layers.

For a moment, I asked myself:
“Should I continue working with them just because their names look good on my portfolio?”

But then came the real question:
At what cost?

• Their pace was slowing down our deliverables.

• It was infecting my team with a culture of delay.

• We were picking up the wrong lessons:

  • “It’s okay to respond late.”

  • “It’s normal to take 15 days for a 15-minute task.”

And that’s where I drew the line.

I don’t want to be an Indian railway engine — stopping at every station, moving slowly but claiming long journeys.
I want to be a rocket. Focused. Fast. Relentless.

So I wrote them an email — no regrets, no sugarcoating:

“Thank you for choosing us, but we cannot work at the pace your system operates. Please refrain from sending further positions.”

That’s it.

Lesson?

If you want to hit orbit as an entrepreneur, you can’t let slow vibes surround you.
Not from clients.
Not from employees.
Not from suppliers.

Compromise on volume, compromise on pricing — but never compromise on pace.
Slowness is the biggest hidden cost in business.