alt Hacker News> People who paid for your software don't really have a right to lord you around.
Of course I realize that, rationally, but:
* They might feel highly entitled because they paid.
* I feel more anxious to satisfy than I should probably be feeling. Perhaps even guilty for having taken money. I realize that is not a rational frame of mind to be in; it would probably change if that happened frequently. I am used to two things: There is my voluntary work, which I share freely and without expecting money; and there is my 'job' where I have to bow my head to management and do not get to pursue the work as I see fit, and I devote most of my time to - but I get paid (which also kind of happens in the background, i.e. I never see the person who actually pays me). Selling a product or a service is a weird third kind of experience which I'm not used to.
I think you are making two mistakes here.
You think you need to bow your head to management in your job which, while you technically are under their authority in some ways, isn't really how I advise you to frame your relationship with your work. You are here to bring value and your manager is there to help you/ensure you do that. Still that's a framework not a rigid guiding stick. You need to learn how to manage/bend your manager if you want to thrive in the corporate world.
Same with customers. They hire you because they need your expertise. It's a dance not a tether and you need to be two to tango.
It seems to me you are not putting enough value in what you bring to the table. It's easier to say than it is to feel it and believe it but I guess it's never a bad thing to tell someone.