"It's not that the problem was simple -- the other team's example shows that it was not"
Not necessarily. It might show that the other team was either
(1) not smart enough to realize the problem's simplicity, or
(2) deliberately playing the political game of making the problem appear hard because they knew that in the end they'd get more recognition. The lead programmer, Alan, got to have three people working for him, which could have been a step up for him on the corporate ladder. The corporate world is full of this kind of empire-building.
Not necessarily. It might show that the other team was either
(1) not smart enough to realize the problem's simplicity, or
(2) deliberately playing the political game of making the problem appear hard because they knew that in the end they'd get more recognition. The lead programmer, Alan, got to have three people working for him, which could have been a step up for him on the corporate ladder. The corporate world is full of this kind of empire-building.