Today I learnt by hard, that even best management don't want to hear how bad things are.

You're supposed to shut up, and make things shine.

You can't fix few years of sh*t in 3 months? You can't work with people who don't understand basics? You can't fake results to show to the management?

Too bad...

That's not "best management" - far from it. Good managers I've worked with have never wanted me to fake results, and just want to hear it as it is. We then get the time we need to sort things out properly.

There's plenty of bad managers, don't get me wrong, but good ones definitely exist.

After I inherited project last few weeks, I've spent endless days explaining all small and big issues, and how FUBAR things are.

I was explaining (and unfortunately complaining too) a lot.

I haven't understood everything because implementation differs from documentation, which differs from what's really feasible. Today I got info they don't trust me I can handle it, and looking for replacement.

Even though I told them I won't be able to deliver with this team, and I need help (at least on good additional developer) instead of giving it, they are considering replacement. WTF?

Lesson learned: if you're considering honesty, just bang your head in the wall, and reconsider.

They just want to deliver shit, no matter how shitty the actual shit is.

It worked before with incompetent people who just slapped a lot of bandaids on a major issues and now you are saying that their golden goose isn't really a goose but chicken and that is not gold, its shite!

Truth is liberating but there will always be people that are hurt by it.

You are better off that company, find a place which is not a complete shitshow! There are good companies out there, you just have to find them!

Counseling management isn't the coder's job - that is what project managers and CTOs are there for.

@Oktokolo my project managers broadcast only positive info and success stories.

@bzq84
If you are really into drama and feel like life is too boring, you could start broadcasting the "missing parts" to your project managers' superiors...

@Oktokolo I think I did last few days. Result: I'm the complaining whiny boy who can't get shit done.

@bzq84
For even more drama, use the next team meetings for directly accusing the project managers to lie about project progress to higher ups.
Try to build a strong opposition by getting other employees (both, from the team and completely innocent ones) to support your side. Keep in mind, that for maximum drama potential, you should aim for equal party sizes pro and contra the project managers...

@Oktokolo yeah, I know you're sarcastic.

But on the other hand - what are the other options? Being silent and just swallow daily/weekly/monthly does of B.S.?

@bzq84
Whether i am sarcastic depends on whether you want the drama or not. I know at least one person, who is definitely all-in about getting the most drama possible. So they seem to exist...

But if you don't like drama, stop creating it.
It really doesn't matter, what the project managers tell their superiors as long as that superiors don't ask you about it.
And then you can still call bullshit and, depending on how much drama that generates, fight it through or go somewhere else.

Also, in most management circles they know, that shit is whirled around by the fan. They aren't blind after all. But the SNAFU reports are required to keep shareholders happy and if controlling finds written statements of failure, they may be forced to make human resources "do something" about it...
The more hierarchy there is, the more SNAFU and virtue signalling every management layer has to do.
But if you aren't management, you don't need to get involved in that social bullshit - if you don't like to.

@Oktokolo so how this drama person is doing? Any details?

SNAFU is basically a norm in every organisation? Like "we know it's shit but we don't talk about it, because ultimately we want to make our wages, but not fixing shit"?

@bzq84
I lost contact to that person a year or so ago. I am myself not that much into drama after all...

And yes, SNAFU basically is the norm in private and public administration of all kinds. The bigger, the more SNAFU. The higher up the hierarchy, the more SNAFU.
Often there even is SNAFU about the SNAFU ("yeah, the reports are obviously sugarcoated. But progress is actually made and the situation improved a lot already").
SNAFU basically is that ingrained into the society, that it also is expected to happen in families and relationships to some degree...

@bzq84 to be honest, in my opinion - keep you mouth shut, until you find another job. If one thing I learned in the past 20 years, life is too short for a shitty job.