I like this, but somehow I wonder, was this the right thing to do? I would say it wasn't, because both parties lost: lmilcin had to quit, some colleagues felt ashamed (rightly or not), and at the end Elasticsearch wasn't taken into account as solution.
Now, my cynic side of me also wonders: perhaps Elasticsearch wasn't the answer and that's why the proposal was shot down? We'll never know. What I do know is this: software engineering is as much about humans as it is about tech, so even if you know you are (technically) right, don't forget to address the issue from a human perspective (i.e., convince your colleagues that your solution is right, but don't make fun of them by highlighting how one individual (you) can make the whole project "in just 1h").
Was the right thing, I think (based on the info available here). There's an opportunity cost in staying and wasting years of ones life at such a place
(Note that GP wrote: "I was immediately shot down that the project will take huge amount of time and effort to complete and so is completely off the table" -- that was the stated reason for refusing it)
Now, my cynic side of me also wonders: perhaps Elasticsearch wasn't the answer and that's why the proposal was shot down? We'll never know. What I do know is this: software engineering is as much about humans as it is about tech, so even if you know you are (technically) right, don't forget to address the issue from a human perspective (i.e., convince your colleagues that your solution is right, but don't make fun of them by highlighting how one individual (you) can make the whole project "in just 1h").