I run a little consulting business that makes bespoke software. I also get headhunted a lot. When I tell the recruiter that I am not interested in working for them, but I would be happy to sell them the same deliverable I would make for them as an employee, they are not open to this. Why do companies operate this way? Why do they want to pay you 10X (or whatever multiple it is) what that deliverable would cost in salary, rather than just paying you X for the thing itself? This makes no sense to me.
