A lead developer with expertise in database systems was recently promoted to project lead working in a team that was short-handed.  It seemed like a reasonable fit, at first.

Since then Ihave learned:

- The project is a modern Java web app (they hired 2 junior C (not C++ or GUI) developers from other units)

- There is no architecture, so the developers are doing things like investigating the use of Spring or not.

- The project must be shipped in a few months.  This appears to be a collosal communications screw up: the contract says delivery so many days after signing, the client delayed signed for months, once signed the client assumed the clock had been ticking all along the signing was just a formality.

- The company we work for is strictly waterfall development with very long test cycles.  Given the expected ship date the project needs to go into test phase in a couple of weeks in order to meet their delivery date (per contract) or face penalties.

- Since our company is very concerned with security all 3rd party software used (tomcat, Spring, commons library, etc…) must get approval from lawyer types who go over the specific license agreement for the software involved.  Especially of interest is anything developed by non-US parties.

- There are no written requirements beyond a few paragraphs in the contract.

- There is no UI-design, it is being done by the aforementioned C developers.

- Like everyone else in the world there are constraints on hiring, so it is likely the project will not get a Java developer to help out.

That’s about all I can think of so far.  I am always amazed this kind of silliness still goes on in the world.