IMO as a practical matter the way to manage this is to have an a active pipeline and manage your callendar to pull the B-grade opportunities earlier and push out the A-grade opportunities. Telling a recruiter “I am actively talking to a couple other companies” is usually an accelerant and seeds FOMO.
So, I agree with you that it takes some luck. But good strategy makes you ready for whatever luck happens. Play backgammon, not chess.
> good strategy makes you ready for whatever luck happens
Yes, I agree that attempting to schedule things in this manner is better than not, should you find yourself able to do so. But, I don't agree with the parent comment that it is "the ultimate and most powerful interviewing technique". Scheduling by preference is moot if (1) you don't have a resume/background that lands interviews in the first place and (2) you don't have the chops to be successful in technical rounds.
So, I agree with you that it takes some luck. But good strategy makes you ready for whatever luck happens. Play backgammon, not chess.