[chaddeshon]

Good engineering can't take a backseat to features, deadlines, and keeping things running. Good engineering IS features, deadlines, and keeping things running.

If you aren't making features and meeting deadlines you aren't engineering anything. You're just messing around. Features and deadlines are the difference between science and engineering. There's never enough time, that's what makes it hard.

Of course, Amazon might be pushing time tables too far. I have no idea, and it seems like you do.

[bluedanieru]

I really didn't get the impression that the parent was disappointed he wasn't allowed to 'mess around'. If management doesn't give a flip about technical debt that's a problem.