> That entire 122-strong org was knee-deep in impossible ruminations involving porting Windows to Linux to support their existing VM management agents.

> My day-one problem was therefore not to ramp up on new technology, but rather to convince an entire org, up to my skip-skip-level, that they were on a death march.

> I later researched this further and found that no one at Microsoft, not a single soul, could articulate why up to 173 agents were needed to manage an Azure node

This is most corporates. I'm sure this was celebrated as as a successful project and congratulations to everyone, along with big bonuses, RSU, raises, and promotions, mostly to other orgs to bring this kind of 'success' to other projects (or other companies). These people mostly are gone in less than 2 years. They continue to take 'wins'.

The VPs are dumb as shit, but they need 'successful' projects that have fancy names that they can present to their exec team.

The 173 agents are to give wins to a large number of people and teams, all these people contributed to this successful project.

If it continues, there will be a lessons learned powerpoint, followed by 10x growth in headcount, promotions to everyone and double down. 270 people can deliver a baby in 1 day and all that.