There always the fear that if someone speaks out about a BS/zombie project, one could get negatively impatced by things like hit by lay off, since "we don't need you any more"; or, refocused to do even less fun, more beauracratic work; or, the blame somehow gets shifted that "its YOUR fault that this project has gone no where!", etc.

My rule of thumb nowadays is if i get assigned to a zombie project, i try and whine and complian alot to the point of being annoying...but if that fails, i try one or more of the following things:

- semi-force my way onto a more fun or useful project...and sort of show zombie project l;eader that "hey, sorry, i'm split onto another project..."

- create my own fun project - but needs to really apply to employer's business, and actually add value.

- work on a side hustle (assuming it does not legally conflict somehow with the day job that assiugned me to the zombie project)

- search job boards, linkedin, etc. for the next gig

Author here. I asked some devs this question:

    Although you are required to do your job, you secretly believe it is pointless and should not need to be performed.

Turns out a lot of people answered yes, which is sort astounding.

There is a lot of people who don't understand how complex our lives became.

There is much more of a disconnect between stuff we eat and food regulations for example.

People working on food regulations might feel like it is BS job because almost every company abides to the rules and it seems like without it everyone would do that because it seems "obvious".

In 1850s meat was produced by basically everyone who had animals, amount of sick people because of no regulation was super high. Is there anyone from 2020s that remembers it?

I believe there is much more disconnect - so people don't really understand "why" they are doing their jobs than actual BS jobs.

Other argument, singers are not producing anything why people pay for songs or concerts? It is BS job if we look at simple outcome of food or produce, but it is not BS if we look at emotions.

This is true. If people think their jobs are pointless then perhaps they actually aren't. Also perhaps for some people in a dark headspace every job seems like BS.

But also if people say their job is useless it might very well be.

Everybody wants to change the world, but not everybody stops to wonder why the world is the way it is.

Thing is, everyone's value system is different. What is busy work for one person can be satisfying for someone else. So the bottom line is to do work which you derive value from. If you are working on a team of 100 people working on a feature which you believe is pointless, but it is still technically challenging and you are learning and you are having fun, then that's fine. It is paying the bills and you are getting something you value out of it.

e.g, there are people who think Metaverse is pointless. Does that mean all the engineers working on it are wasting time? Of course not, they are all getting something of value out of it - may be money, chance to innovate, chance to work with amazing people.

Couldn’t you see life itself as one huge bullshit project that we’re here doing without a concrete idea of where it’s going, what it’s for or whether anyone has a use for it? It’s work: for us to do, created by higher ups.

It’s turtles all the way down.