What counts for "similar end product" typically ignores all future needs of the business. One project gets accomplished and everyone gets a pat on the back and

What counts for "similar end product" typically ignores all future needs of the business. One project gets accomplished and everyone gets a pat on the back and a bonus. Then as the years go by the accomplishments become more and more mundane. For example, upgrading the enterprise software to a newer version suddenly counts as progress and everyone once again gets a pat on the back. Eventually everyone wonders why the IT expense is so huge and why the company's software seems to be treading water. So someone bites on another sales pitch and years are spent transitioning to some awful alternative enterprise turd, and the cycle continues until bankruptcy or acquisition.