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My key project at work is an enormous waste of time and money. Likely fucked.

Late this afternoon I learned that the project I've been wor...
Crimson Abode
  03/26/26
I had a multibillion dollar deal crater on the eve of close ...
Arousing Low-t Institution
  03/26/26
At least you're still employed. It seems like I'm on the ver...
Crimson Abode
  03/26/26
My days at this place are numbered too but I have $600k of t...
Arousing Low-t Institution
  03/26/26
...
Balding greedy base
  03/26/26
Nice
Multi-colored University Boltzmann
  03/26/26
cr its insane when doordash doubles up orders like that for ...
rambunctious maniacal parlor
  03/26/26
...
Self-centered Gay Wizard
  03/26/26
...
narrow-minded main people degenerate
  03/26/26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0bb5yFs058
talented mewling mad-dog skullcap famous landscape painting
  03/26/26
I think I'm mentally shocked or something. This morning thin...
Crimson Abode
  03/26/26
this might be a "bad time" to tell you this, but a...
Self-centered Gay Wizard
  03/26/26
...
rambunctious maniacal parlor
  03/26/26
...
Balding greedy base
  03/26/26
cr lol u know its some fake kpi nigger bullshit because he h...
rambunctious maniacal parlor
  03/26/26
I'm intentionally using vague terms so I don't out myself.
Crimson Abode
  03/26/26
Your job isnt real and doesnt matter in the slightest
rambunctious maniacal parlor
  03/26/26
...
Balding greedy base
  03/26/26
...
Self-centered Gay Wizard
  03/26/26
Yeah dude has to disentangle being personally disappointed f...
Multi-colored University Boltzmann
  03/26/26
I just don't know what to do until I find a new job. Lie? Ac...
Crimson Abode
  03/26/26
Obviously youre not in charge so just do what everyone else ...
Multi-colored University Boltzmann
  03/26/26
you've been lying to yourself this whole time how hard co...
talented mewling mad-dog skullcap famous landscape painting
  03/26/26
do whatever is in your own best interest. none of the other ...
Self-centered Gay Wizard
  03/26/26
I think I'll have to lie and play dumb, maybe work the "...
Crimson Abode
  03/26/26
It’s for projects like this one that the concept of Ad...
up-to-no-good karate
  03/27/26
...
razzle hateful gunner
  03/27/26
Obv blame the other team for duplicating YOUR work.
electric stock car
  03/26/26
The more the better
Charcoal cracking double fault preventive strike
  03/26/26
Wtf does your project even do? How does this client fuck up ...
bronze french chef
  03/26/26
...
Crimson Abode
  03/26/26
F100? Government? Military? Are you a codecuck? "Produc...
bronze french chef
  03/26/26
just jump
rambunctious maniacal parlor
  03/26/26
OP spent the past year developing a fleshlight for the Asian...
Slippery boiling water
  03/26/26
What industry? Why can't you just pivot to another project w...
Adventurous adulterous hall
  03/26/26


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 6:19 PM
Author: Crimson Abode

Late this afternoon I learned that the project I've been working on for nearly two years has been trying to solve a problem that has already been mostly solved by a different team. Due to bureaucratic bloat, organizational dysfunction, inexperienced leadership, siloed projects, etc., we didn't know of this until today. Our client, who has wasted millions on this duplication of effort, was on the call where we learned this. Unsurprisingly, the client asked to meet immediately after we all learned this, and on that call we were desperately grasping at straws to "repurpose" our otherwise pointless waste of money.

While the blame here really does fall on the client, that doesn't matter. What matters is that my job situation is now fucked unless the client falls for the sunk cost fallacy and/or their senior leadership remains clueless. Fuck.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771746)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 6:25 PM
Author: Arousing Low-t Institution

I had a multibillion dollar deal crater on the eve of close and now I’m not allowed to send any new legal work to outside counsel without Office of the CEO approval and by any I mean literally any. They are micromanaging every $500 increment. I got yelled at by my $6 million a year GC for sending 3 hours of work to CMS.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771773)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 6:34 PM
Author: Crimson Abode

At least you're still employed. It seems like I'm on the verge of unemployment and need to start a mad scramble to find something new. We're supposed to go in front of senior leadership in a few weeks to give a presentation on what we've done so far. I can't see that going well. Unless they really are fucking clueless, someone in that meeting will realize we've spent almost two years reinventing the wheel.

I feel deeply ashamed even though I'm not to blame at all here. It really is organizational dysfunction that led to this going unnoticed. I just did what I was asked to do without the client telling me someone else had already done it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771815)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 6:42 PM
Author: Arousing Low-t Institution

My days at this place are numbered too but I have $600k of time vested RSUs so I will survive.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771855)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 6:35 PM
Author: Balding greedy base



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771819)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 6:36 PM
Author: Multi-colored University Boltzmann

Nice

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771822)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 6:41 PM
Author: rambunctious maniacal parlor

cr its insane when doordash doubles up orders like that for the client

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771849)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 6:49 PM
Author: Self-centered Gay Wizard



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771879)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:10 PM
Author: narrow-minded main people degenerate



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771945)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 6:42 PM
Author: talented mewling mad-dog skullcap famous landscape painting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0bb5yFs058

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771852)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:01 PM
Author: Crimson Abode

I think I'm mentally shocked or something. This morning things were looking great at work -- a lot getting done, no major obstacles to delivering things on time, lively atmosphere, etc. But it's been an entire waste of time and money from the beginning without any of us knowing until about two hours ago. What we have planned for the next ~6 months is pointless work, entirely without value to the client, a death march that a rational person would just kill right now. I see no viable "repurposing" that can salvage the project.

I'm going to update my resume after I go for a long walk. I'm not sure what to tell my manager. I'm not sure what the client is going to say. Do I just pretend we haven't been duplicating effort for two years? I'm not sure how exactly this is going to end, but nothing looks good.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771914)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:04 PM
Author: Self-centered Gay Wizard

this might be a "bad time" to tell you this, but at no point in your life was any of the work that you did important or meaningful in any way

destroy all computers btw

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771923)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:04 PM
Author: rambunctious maniacal parlor



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771925)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:05 PM
Author: Balding greedy base



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771927)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:06 PM
Author: rambunctious maniacal parlor

cr lol u know its some fake kpi nigger bullshit because he had to couch in general terms so much, wtf could this possibly even be

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771931)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:15 PM
Author: Crimson Abode

I'm intentionally using vague terms so I don't out myself.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771956)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:15 PM
Author: rambunctious maniacal parlor

Your job isnt real and doesnt matter in the slightest

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771959)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:16 PM
Author: Balding greedy base



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771960)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:22 PM
Author: Self-centered Gay Wizard



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771973)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:08 PM
Author: Multi-colored University Boltzmann

Yeah dude has to disentangle being personally disappointed from the reality of the work situation. Shit like this happens all the time, usually to a lessor degree, but everyone involved has an incentive to move on asap. The client here isn't even pissed off, they are just as eager to sweep it under the rug. The reality is most corporate work is totally useless, it's just more obvious here.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771941)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:16 PM
Author: Crimson Abode

I just don't know what to do until I find a new job. Lie? Act stupid? Scramble to salvage the project? I can't tell the truth.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771964)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:18 PM
Author: Multi-colored University Boltzmann

Obviously youre not in charge so just do what everyone else does

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771966)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:19 PM
Author: talented mewling mad-dog skullcap famous landscape painting

you've been lying to yourself this whole time

how hard could it be to keep that up

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771967)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:28 PM
Author: Self-centered Gay Wizard

do whatever is in your own best interest. none of the other people at your "job" matter at all, and you will forget all about them within a couple weeks once you leave

probably what is in your own best interest is lying and playing dumb. but only you know for sure

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771982)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 8:01 PM
Author: Crimson Abode

I think I'll have to lie and play dumb, maybe work the "repurposing" angle if pushed. My biggest worry was that the client would get pissed off about this and call us out, but it's their fuck up and not ours, so I don't see that happening.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49772037)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 27th, 2026 3:28 PM
Author: up-to-no-good karate

It’s for projects like this one that the concept of Adjusted EBITDA was invented. Find out who writes the memos approving reclassing expenses to some vaguely defined restructuring project with a big budget and no monitoring of realized results. It’s what the CFO wants you to do even if maybe he doesn’t want to be in the meeting where it all gets hashed out.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49774114)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 27th, 2026 3:30 PM
Author: razzle hateful gunner



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49774129)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:07 PM
Author: electric stock car

Obv blame the other team for duplicating YOUR work.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771938)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:14 PM
Author: Charcoal cracking double fault preventive strike

The more the better

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771954)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:12 PM
Author: bronze french chef

Wtf does your project even do? How does this client fuck up and not notice for two years?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771951)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:56 PM
Author: Crimson Abode



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49772029)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 8:04 PM
Author: bronze french chef

F100? Government? Military? Are you a codecuck? "Product manager"?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49772044)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 7:19 PM
Author: rambunctious maniacal parlor

just jump

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49771968)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 8:03 PM
Author: Slippery boiling water

OP spent the past year developing a fleshlight for the Asian market, but this other team realized that they can just drill small holes in an orange and accommidate asian penises.

OK tat sucked. Should click cancel, but I'm now.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49772038)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 26th, 2026 8:05 PM
Author: Adventurous adulterous hall

What industry? Why can't you just pivot to another project within your organization, not necessarily for this client?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5850193&forum_id=2...id.#49772048)