My current employer creates software that helps large communications companies comply with government regulations. While we technically have "users", we almost never think about them - not because we don't care, but because they simply aren't relevant to our bottom line. If we make something that's clunky and hard to use, it doesn't really matter. As long as we get it done on time and at a lower price than our competitors, we're golden. It may be an oversimplification to say that no one wants our software, but I can guarantee you that if a handful of laws were repealed tomorrow, we wouldn't have a single client. They may need what we make, but they certainly don't want it.I find myself writing open-source software just to feel the rush of making something cool that people actually find useful. Few things feel better than making software people like. The obvious solution here is to find a new job, but for now, this is where I'm at. I assume I'm not the only one in this situation.All you user-centered engineers out there: what do you do to keep yourself grounded when writing software that nobody really wants?