Where I’m at, needless complexity is forced upon us. At the same time, we are constantly pushed to deliver new capabilities on timelines that are dictated to us, devoid of any grounding in reality. There is no room to even have the conversation about proper design or solving the right problems. It’s all about hitting arbitrary dates with “features” no one really cares about, while ignoring the foundation it all has to sit on.
The more loudly someone speaks up, the faster they are shown the door. As a result, most people keep their head down, pick their battles carefully, and try to keep their head above water so they can pay the rent.
I wouldn't work at a place that doesn't value my perspective either. The problem is that most engineers realize this 6-12 months in, after they're already invested, and leaving means starting over. This is why "keep your head down to pay rent" becomes the default. The system is designed to make speaking up too expensive.
You are in a completely normal dev shop. What's happened is that the start up mentality of "ship something - anything, and ship it NOW" has infected everything. Maybe over time you can make it better. But educating management can be a slow and frustrating process. Good luck!