Tired of the current project. What to do?

Question

Startups

After a year and a half of development, I was terribly tired of writing code for the current project. The edge was the question of finding a new one. We work for an offshore (foreign customer), so you can simply change the project within the company (i.e. change the customer).

Reporting a desire to change the project is not tricky, but the next question from the management is anticipated: “What can we do for you so that you stay on the current project?”.

Going through the answers in my head, there are a lot of arguments (legacy code and the unwillingness of the direct customer to spend time cleaning it; boring and strange tasks; the customer’s own lack of vision for the final product; monotony [nothing new happens on the project - in 1.5 years it has not went into serious production, although the site is formally launched into production]).

Nevertheless, the authorities, in a rush to leave the person on the project, as usual in these cases, will offer to increase the salary, buy a new laptop, etc. And it will be quite difficult to refuse some buns (or their size). It remains to decide what is more important now: money or your own growth.

Behind this is a rhetorical question - did you have something similar? And if so, how did you do it and why? Did you leave the project or sold out?

Answer 1

Answer 2

The choice is simple - either you need money and goodies here and now and you stay, or nothing is holding you back financially and materially and you leave.

Answer 3

The authorities can also raise the question in such a way that it turns out that no one except you will cope with the tasks assigned to you under the project. This, of course, is a lie, but it may not be easy to get out.
I had a similar experience in my life when I was the only programmer on a project with no end in sight, and supposedly no one else could understand my code, so I had to keep working. But there was a way out. After lengthy disputes with the authorities, we settled on the fact that it is possible to draw up a TOR for all the items that need to be completed before the release of the project. Any changes that occur during the development process that were not included in the TOR go into the trash - let them hire other people.
I would advise not to let money influence the decision in any way. Let them pay you twice as much, it still won’t save you from having to go to an unloved job every day. And low morale at work will affect all other components of a fulfilling life.
Put the question categorically: I don’t like the project for such and such reasons, I want a new one or I’ll leave. After all, you stayed in your current job for a whole year and a half, not by pure chance, but because you really possess the skills that you are paid for. In such a situation, finding a new job should not be a big deal, given the current demand for your arsenal of skills.
Finally, I will give a metaphor that I once stumbled upon in the internet. Our life is juggling balls. One ball symbolizes work, the other - health, the third - family. The ball of work is made of rubber - if you drop it, it will bounce off the floor and return to your hand. But all the other balls are glass, they can be dropped only once.

Answer 4

Although I did not ask this question, I found the answers useful for myself. Thank you!

Answer 5

We have been developing software and websites both to order and for ourselves (our own projects) since 2005. It so happened that I didn’t want to waste time on customer projects anymore (it became boring as well), but I wanted to pay more attention to my project, and then there weren’t enough free hands at all. Therefore, we transferred the projects of customers to other performers, while we ourselves went headlong into our own. That is, they parted with customers in normal relations, no one was offended, and they could realize their ambitions.
The decision to take here is only for you, but weigh more the material side of the issue. When we parted with our customers after a year and two of work, we could financially afford it at that time.

Answer 6

It may sound trite, but I quit in such a situation, and I don’t regret it a bit =) The authorities wanted to leave me with all their might, but in the end everything got to such an extent that I literally had antipathy to work in this office (I worked on one almost two years of the project). And when even everything changed for the better, I could no longer work morally there and left.

Answer 7

There was such a case - first of all it was necessary to decide then what was more important - valuable money, or invaluable experience. At that hungry time, the money was outweighed, which I regret, since another year has passed in empty. There is such a student proverb: first you work for a record book, and then it works for you, I think everything is clear here.

Answer 8

Clearly there is something wrong with the project. Does the client not understand this? Is there a final implementation and launch plan? Or the customer does not dedicate you to the details?