[anm89]

Yeah I think you hit the nail on the head. This guy was clearly smart, but he really had no broad interest in science. He was climbing the neuroscience ladder in exactly like someone would climb any corporate ladder.it was just the career he had happened to choose. He was definitely serious about it.

Non technical probably isn't the right term here, he clearly possessed a lot of technical knowledge. But he was non technical in regards to the project he engaged me on which was to build a a web app for his lab.

Either way it was a dissapointing experience. I was more excited to take that project than any other in my life but by the end I was happy to walk away from it because it wasn't productive.

I think another part of the problem was that this guy had a lot of money to throw around via grants but I don't think it particularly felt like real money to him. I think it was a use it or lose it situation, but he didn't seem very serious about getting return on the investment. Once he realized the project was going to take real effort to manage on his end, he was seemed immediately ready to abandon his sunk cost and move on.

[hilbert42]

"he was seemed immediately ready to abandon his sunk cost and move on"

That sums matters up to a tee I reckon. :-)