[fshbbdssbbgdd]

I think it’s true both that most promotions are legit and not based on vanity projects, and yet still the vanity projects are common and causing major problems. Let’s say you have 10k engineers at your megacorp. Maybe the ideal number of execution platform workflow framework engines your business needs to add this year is 30, but instead 300 are created by 3% of your engineers who wants a promotion. Eventually you have thousands of these frameworks, maintaining them is a drag, everyone is suffering, although the vast majority are good actors.

[valicord]

Speaking from personal experience, the inverse of this is not necessary great either: the desire for the ever-growing scope leads to convincing everyone to switch to the "one true system" where previously multiple custom solutions were better fit for each individual problem.

[threeseed]

These projects don't just appear out of thin air and get funded.

It's because solutions don't exist to meet their unique requirements which often you don't get visibility of unless you're in the team.

But of course that will never stop HN commenters assuming they know better about the situation than the engineers and managers that work there.