Not really. The typical SDE or SDM from these projects delivered a bunch of good, working software. The product managers might have a harder time proving that

Not really. The typical SDE or SDM from these projects delivered a bunch of good, working software. The product managers might have a harder time proving that they did their job well; but there's really no penalty for an SDE who chooses to support a longshot effort. That said, the idea that the davelimp organization is given carte blanche for headcount and resources is laughably inaccurate.