(throwaway because I don't want to identify the company) That works for some things, but not the others. For instance, right now I can almost mathematically pr

(throwaway because I don't want to identify the company) That works for some things, but not the others. For instance, right now I can almost mathematically prove that we're building the wrong thing, starting from 2 very "common sense" and reasonably easy-to-believe "axioms". I have no trouble convincing fellow engineers that we're not building the right thing, but that's more harmful than useful. I've managed to convince some director-level people, but trying to bring this up to VP-level yielded clear warning signs that not only will I achieve nothing, but it's going to be a career limiting move. The Upton Sinclair quote is quite true - "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it." In the meanwhile, my company spent in excess of two years, and increasingly more resources trying to build the same thing and being not an inch nearer to their true goal - I wonder how soon till the outside world starts to notice. The CEO is frustrated because the strategy is sound and he doesn't get why it's not getting done. In the meanwhile, trying to tell to the VP that the tactics is wrong (and how it's wrong, and how to fix it) gets you the axe. It's messed up, but all I can do right now is say "it's not my job to fix this mess" and play along with it/ learn interesting technologies & cash my cheques. :(