Maybe I've been around too long, but this doesn't seem too bad. The guy made a lot of mistakes (flat fee, not talking to users, etc.) and then suffered the con

Maybe I've been around too long, but this doesn't seem too bad. The guy made a lot of mistakes (flat fee, not talking to users, etc.) and then suffered the consequences. As far as the shifting requirements, management nitpicking, "dirty" imported data, and all of that, it sounds like any software project at any medium or large company. It describes a lot of projects at smaller companies, too, for that matter.