You have to choose the bounty that has a good and reliable manager. If you are feeling depressed that your efforts were wasted that's the other side of bounties.
If they aren't able to reach their soft/hard cap they will never pay your efforts so if you want to get paid with the bounty you are joining. Just choose the bounty that has an experienced bounty manager and assures the participants to get paid.
A good manager is not an indicator of a good company.
here is the company
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3037593.0 which was a good manager. He himself was carrying this project. But the project was closed before the sale of the tokens
At least a good manager is the one responsible if something goes wrong with the project he has been hired.
Managers are picky with their projects so if you see the list that I've given that's a list of most of the reputed managers in the forum. And with that case of that link you have given, at least he has informed you that the project was closed.
That's bad if he didn't gave you any words before the sale.