Lied to the entire time.
I initially told them I was not interested because compensation was too low after the first interview. They then came back to me saying they got approval for my desired range. I then proceeded with the process for 4 additional interviews (they said it would only be 3). I created a pitch deck, 30/60/90 plan, and example outreach cadence. They then told me I basically had the job, they loved me, and my references were glowing. The day after they asked my desired start date and I said whenever is best for them. They then ghosted me for a week and half after that, not replying to my texts and emails asking for an update. Fast forward 10 days and they call me at 5:30pm on a Friday saying they didn’t have budget for my role despite coming back to me after that initial first call saying they did…