If the company I worked for hired a STA without appropriate coal face experience, I would quit. Simple as that. Any system such a person designs is almost cer

If the company I worked for hired a STA without appropriate coal face experience, I would quit. Simple as that. Any system such a person designs is almost certain to end up being a death march project. Any management who would hire such a person would also be suspected of gross incompetence. As you say it was only a bad dream. Hope you never have to face such a reality.