&gt;without any realistic customer feedback loop<p>This is so so true (I spent some time working as a post-doc in England).  There are tables filled up this very moment with dignified scientists arguing about bikesheds in CRUD applications that wouldn&#x27;t get three upvotes here on Hacker News.  And remember:  if you can&#x27;t open it in MS Excel, that makes it &quot;Big Data&quot;!<p>All joking aside though, what universities are doing with their postdocs is abusive and immoral and they&#x27;re going to regret killing the golden goose when they&#x27;ve squandered all the prestige in these positions.