> in a private company, they're the ones writing the checks
As long as they're being otherwise reasonable, I don't have a problem doing something that doesn't seem terribly "important" to me either. However, in my career I've had many frustrating instances where they were demanding something in a timeframe that I couldn't deliver it without ensuring that there wouldn't be any unintended side effects - and then blaming me for the side effects when they came up. I only push back when they don't realize how complex what they're asking for is. Of course, then they play the "tell me how long it's going to take so I can argue with you until you agree that it will take as long as I originally asked for" game.
As long as they're being otherwise reasonable, I don't have a problem doing something that doesn't seem terribly "important" to me either. However, in my career I've had many frustrating instances where they were demanding something in a timeframe that I couldn't deliver it without ensuring that there wouldn't be any unintended side effects - and then blaming me for the side effects when they came up. I only push back when they don't realize how complex what they're asking for is. Of course, then they play the "tell me how long it's going to take so I can argue with you until you agree that it will take as long as I originally asked for" game.