I'm a junior developer working on a project that's completely out of my scope. I've missed deadline after deadline and my boss + the customer are getting very pissed off and impatient. This project has got me feeling sick. I'm not sleeping well and honestly thinking about leaving my job just because of this 1 project.

I've tried speaking with my manager but she just says, complete it ASAP to the best of your ability. It will take me months to get it right but I am really struggling.

I'm just looking for some advice please? Has anyone else been through this? Do you think leaving is stupid?

Thank you ranters 😃

Had a similar situation here where I was suddenly told that I'll be continuing iOS app of current project, I already wrote it's basis and then stopped in favor of developing Android app. Long story short, deadline was few weeks away, iOS app was lacking too many features I had on Android, and on top of that it is written by a different person.

Steps:
1. Compare what is missing with what is not working
2. Which has higher chance of being used on a daily basis, then fix/write it
3. If it's a UI fix ignore it until all features are done, I drove boss crazy about refusing to change app font up until the very end
4. If it's internal release then screw it. Example: before public beta boss was testing and every new update required migration code for ORM to be able to update DB on device, if no code provided app will crash. I Never added that code despite boss anger, it's internal I don't give a shit and it's a controllable crash!

Hope I made my point clear ☺️

Going through this now, not seriously thinking about quitting but it does cross my mind just to ditch this project. But keep telling myself it'll be over in a few months.

Project is a nightmare, severe pressure from directors and business, complicated unclear requirements that no one fully understands, including the people trying to write them.

My way of dealing with it is to keep focused on what is currently achievable and known and get sign off on those features. For what is unknown ensure there is an owner responsible for resolving the issue. For the parts I don't know how to do, I ensure that all are aware of the complexity and the reason there is not a solution and try to ensure all stakeholders work together to find a solution or an alternative approach.

Felt a similar anxiety that kept me from sleeping for a few weeks. The framework become more bearable after 120 hours of investment but still if it's drastically beyond your scope (I'm a junior dev too) best to explain what you can imagine hitting in that time and see what they do.

Your boss could hire somebody more experienced to work on that project and finish it a lot quicker. You know why he isn't doing that? BECAUSE HE'S A CHEAP FUCKING BASTARD (sorry but this kind of posts trigger me hahaha). I bet he's paying you pennies. You don't deserve to feel inadequate because he expected to hire the unicorn programmer who works like a senior but gets payed like a junior. I've been in a situation like that and I left.

If you are working alone on that project it's probably an unmaintainable spaghetti-code mess by now(which is totally normal given your experience and constraints). You need to go to a place where you work in a team and learn from your seniors.

I'm so terrified my first junior dev gig will end up like this. I have zero advice but I hope you figure out a way to overcome it or whatever is best for you cause that sounds like hell!

I feel for you. I don't have much wisdom for you but sending positive vibes and I hope you take care of yourself!

I have been in a more or less similar situation.

First of all it is important that you know that missing the deadline(s) is not your personal fault. Your boss or PM is responsible if a deadline is not met, he/she has to manage the ressources for the project and therefore decides which and how many developers to assign the project to reach the goal.

Missing a deadline is the most normal thing for developers but it is very important to tell your PM asap if you see that the project will take longer than the deadline. After that, the deadline should not be your concern, it is upt to the PM on what to do with that information.
Your personal responsibility is only that you develop the project with your abilities, knowlege and care. No PM can make you abandon sleep just for the sake of a deadline, so take care of your personal health (physiological and psychological). It is much more important than any project or deadline.
If you always "help the company out" by working overtime and give 150% all the time, nearly no boss will come to you and thank you for giving up your personal life and health.

In your case your boss or PM really really fucked up with estimating a deadline and also about (wo)manpower.
If I were you, I'd consider leaving. The work climate is obviously not good for you and also keep in mind that your boss is pissedoff of you, but instead he should be pissed off of himself to be such a cheap arse dog turd goat fucker to make a junior dev do the work of a senior work and in about the same time frame.

You deserve much better. You deserve a good team with people who help and support you and you can ask when there is a problem or you're stuck.

Have a nice beer today and chill out for a moment. It is not worth to fuck your life up because of some turd. 😉
🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

The project I am working on took me 6 months, to get it to what it is now. Still the project might take half year or more to get it to where I want.
The most frustrated thing is not that it's something which is not my cup of tea, but I already had thrown so much time on it. It was hardly a work of month or two

Find something secret about your manager. And black mail her for it

Leave, if you're in that position they don't value you

Seems like there is no PM (Product Manager) between you and your boss. @PonySlaystation explains very well why you need a PM to shield you from management work and responsibilities.

If you can easily find a new job, hell yeah quit ASAP and try to find a better work environment. Otherwise, your next best bet is to try to be the PM, in addition to the dev.

Some first steps to be the PM: write everything you are asked to do as tickets. Estimate the tickets (doesn't matter if you are wrong at the beginning, you'll get better). Then ask stakeholders to prioritize tickets, knowing the least important won't be done. They will have to choose between scope and time early, instead of being late at the deadline.

Also, fight very hard so that estimates don't transform into deadlines.

Don't stress, it's not worth it.
And speak your mind, keep trying until they've _heard_ you