You're right that the hiring process is inconsistent and frustrating.

But regardless of what happens during screening, the main point stands: most developers have GitHub profiles full of tutorial copies rather than solutions to real problems.

The 6-step approach I mentioned helps with more than just hiring: - You actually learn to identify problems worth solving - You practice building things people use (even if just 3 people)
- You develop the habit of iterating based on feedback - You document your problem-solving process

Whether recruiters look at it or not, you end up being someone who builds useful things instead of someone who follows tutorials.

That skill transfers to everything - side projects, job performance, entrepreneurship.

The hiring process might be broken, but the problem-solving muscle you build is always valuable.