I'm not a specialist on airlines or an efficiency expert but this seems like a simple problem to solve. Hire more crew or schedule more time between flights. For example if the flight had been scheduled for an hour later then the passengers wouldn't know there was a crew delay. Of course, if the crew had arrived on time they would have an extra hour with nothing to do. The plane would also be sitting on the tarmac for an extra hour. Both airplanes and people are expensive so these costs would need to be passed on to the customers. Would I be willing to pay extra for an airline ticket?
Companies can charge higher fees if they have a better product than the competition. If the airline advertised 100% delay free flights, some people would pay extra for a ticket. But another airline might advertise 99% no-delays. Many passengers would take the 1% risk to save some money. This arrangement might be so enticing that the first airline has to abandon the 100% no-delay target and either match the 99% or be aggressive on pricing and target 98% delay-free. This goes back and forth until there is little difference between the airlines. Every other airline does the same calculations and reaches the same equilibrium between price and service.
So this mental exercise shows that I should expect some delays when I fly. After we boarded, the pilot explained that due to severe weather an airport in North Carolina was shut down preventing a flight from reaching the Atlanta airport, which delayed the crew from arriving at the Philadelphia airport in time for my flight.
When you come across a device or system that puzzles you ask why it is so. First assume that the engineers or design team are competent. Try to envision the constraints, the laws of physics, government regulations, economics or the whims of the consumer. You may determine the real reason why it is as it is. You may be baffled or even wrong in your conclusions. In either case the mental exercise will help you see other sides of an issue.
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