A 12‑Year Hellish Software Project: Lessons from a Massive C++ Failure

Introduction: The author, a self‑described “architect‑coder”, introduces a notorious software project that lasted over 12 years before its leader was imprisoned.

Project scale: The system consisted of more than 6 million lines of C++ code, over 50 000 classes, relied on outdated CORBA middleware, an abandoned database, and required 40‑50 threads to run its UI, with compilation taking 48 hours on a 32‑node farm.

Technical problems: The codebase suffered from extreme complexity, lack of modern language features, massive binary size, and frequent crashes within seconds to minutes of startup.

Version‑control chaos: For years the team worked without any VCS; when a tool was finally introduced it was mis‑managed, causing lost history, mandatory approvals, and painful merge cycles that slowed development.

Team and management issues: Management repeatedly cut experienced developers, hired inexperienced staff, inflated headcount with managers, imposed absurd policies (strict punctuality, coffee‑machine bans, filthy restrooms), and set delivery dates disconnected from reality.

Outcome: The project never delivered a usable product, incurred daily penalties, and ultimately collapsed when the company’s leadership was arrested for fund misappropriation.

Lessons: The author advises avoiding large C++ monoliths, preferring smaller projects, steering clear of CORBA and object‑oriented databases, and being wary of bureaucratic management practices.