Or maybe no-one wasted time? Sometimes a sensible idea one day, becomes not sensible next day as more info becomes available, then the day after that, further info, or request from the ultimate payer of bills, emerges, meaning the original approach was right. We can't always see what are managers are doing. Sometimes they're getting messed around a lot more than us, thus justifying their extra pay. ;) As others have said, us devs get paid no matter what. I wonder if the OP has kids? Have they ever heard "I want to go to the park. No I don't want to go to the park. Well only if so-and-so is going too. But not if you force me to wear that coat. Hey, can we play a board game? Oh, why didn't you let me go out. That's so unfair" . Work is easy by comparison ;)