> If you're not communicating the state of the thing you're working on with the people who need to know then you have a problem.
You're acting like it matters that you're communicating that there has been a setback or delay. Your estimate is a deadline and failing to make the deadline will be a disappointment.
> Your job is to effectively communicate what is and is not possible, and at what cost.
No one cares about any of this. All the people who actually run the company care about is fulfilling what they are now contractually obligated to do -- an obligation they made without consulting you, so everyone can move on to the next round of customer commits.
> Sometimes things are complex and you know why they are complex and how they got that way and how to avoid those mistakes in the future.
That sounds like everyone working on any large project. That doesn't make anyone unfireable.
I fully believe that there are companies out there for which this is true. I also know that there is at least one organization out there for which it is not true, at least in several parts of the organization, because I've spent the last fifteen years working there. (It's a big org; there are probably parts that do have this kind of toxicity but I've been fortunate enough to avoid them). My work slides to the right all the time, but because I keep my managers appraised of the risk, give them as much warning as possible when something unanticipated interferes with progress, and work with them to consider alternatives and figure out how to respond, I have gotten consistently positive reviews and a wide selection of projects for me to choose from whenever I have availability.
Maybe I just got super lucky--it's a good fit for me and it's a huge part of why I've stayed so long--but to say that all companies and upper management are as you've described? That's painting with too broad a brush.
This is what I've seen. The blame culture is so those above you are shielded from failure but rewarded from success.
The point being if you're an engineer working on a project and it is done quicker than the timeline there will be nothing extra accept a thank you. If your project it late you could be fired.
> If you’re not making your delivery timelines and this is a surprise to your organization, you and your manager have a problem
When the bullshit arbitrary estimates you gave became bullshit arbitrary deadlines, we didn't like it when reality happened.
> If product has a dream and no one knows what it would take to build it (time, resources, architecture), you have a problem
Some MBA cock landed a customer on lies about features that won't and can't exist and now it's somehow our fault.
> you are basically unfireable because you know so much
We are at the mercy of assholes. Our company rewards generating needless complexity.