Hm... It's totally okay, to not be able to do it. Nobody can know everything. Doesn't mean you are in a "lower" category compared to your colleagues.
Okay, it's not a global problem (ie. "needs PHD") but just a personal problem (ie. "I have no clue how to solve it"). Trying to get as much stuff done as possible, I've said similar things in the past, though. Not really thought about it before typing. Happens...
Nobody got hurt in the process, right? Let's forgive this little misinterpretation and move on.
Nobody here seems to be focused on the specifics of the case. But i think moving on would leave a great opportunity to re-evaluate corporate SE choices.
At the very least we can agree its a good thing that the dev was able to fork/re-implement the tool with the given API.
But for me it raises the larger question.
How useful is this form of software engineering management?
The tool is relativity simple enough to re-implement ( Which is a good thing ), but at the same time an entire team/governance structure was put in place to act out a set of motions, without pushing what is possible.
To be blunt, it sounds miserable to have to work like that.
Okay, it's not a global problem (ie. "needs PHD") but just a personal problem (ie. "I have no clue how to solve it"). Trying to get as much stuff done as possible, I've said similar things in the past, though. Not really thought about it before typing. Happens...
Nobody got hurt in the process, right? Let's forgive this little misinterpretation and move on.