i would def start looking for a new job if you have not started already.

obv, only quit if you can afford to.

outside of that, i would just do what they say. and possibly think about a mindshift - pretend they are THE ACTUAL ALL-KNOWING-PERFECT-HUMAN-TECHIES and that everything they say it perfectly true and optimal, and then do it. i don't think it's possible for most people, but you never know.

i mean, you're worried about being told what to do, but you're not the CTO, nor the CEO, you don't have much leverage. you're a worker bee like most of the rest of us -- companies are near-perfect dictatorships, unless they have some hippie structure like a worker co-op or similar.

so, do what you're told.

all your arguments about 'works great now' and 'low overhead' and whatever else -- it's not meaningful in any sense that matters. the political economy of companies -- i.e. how they work, for short -- is not centered on what worker bee person thinks is good or bad or anything else.

your setup works better? doesn't matter.

your setup makes more money? doesn't matter.

your setup is more efficient? doesn't. matter.

that's worker bee thinking.

correct thinking is more like, 'what will help my manager achieve and exceed their metrics so that they can report to their betters that they have achieved and exceeded their metrics?'

i'm guessing you've had the good fortune of having relatively benign management in the past, but the new person/culture is very Muskie -- i.e. assholish. that's unfortunate, but a sad reality for you, and a lot of other people.

on the other hand, i've been in the asshole position before and i remember feeling _very_ frustrated by at least one person who was pushing back on changes that I and others wanted to make to make our startup move better and faster and make and save more money and be more fulfulling etc.

If i had the power to fire the person i probably would have, but fortunately i did not -- i didn't want it weighing on my conscience later, when i realized i was really just being lazy and assholish and not really consulting with the person and hearing them out and discussing my concerns, their concerns, etc. -- all of which could have been done very easily and quickly at my initiation.

point of that is really that, even if you put up a _tiny_ bit of resistance -- even 'just' asking for an explanation of what was decided in your absence -- like a blade of grass-level of resistance -- it can feel to the person that is pushing for changes like a _massive_ effort on your part to STOP ALL PROGRESS -- like massive brick wall-level of resistance.

prob a good bit to do with toxic masculinity.

my best practical advice would be start looking for a new job stat, try for a lead role, or just be a consultant so you can mostly be left alone to get shit done, and at the same time do what you're told at the current job.

this is where it's going to possibly get even more rough - because they don't want you there - but you can either just start doing shit - converting and building your code to be what your overlords are demanding, and see if that gets you fired, or actually consult with them and either ask them how you should proceed, or just tell them your plan, and ask for feedback on if they think it's a good idea or not.

there is really no right or wrong way to do this - no tone of voice you could possibly strike that would come off to them as correct - so just do what needs to be done, say what needs to be said, don't worry about the rest - it will be perceived as wrong and evil no matter what.

they might have input on how exactly it should be done, what parts should be done first, how long you think it will take to do, etc. they'll say, "It's gonnna take two weeks to rewrite that entire module and integrate into our CI/CD pipeline?? Damn - i was hoping it would not take more than a day or two, but ok."

And then go and do it. and try to make it work fucking awesomely.

and find a new job.

good luck!