The problem with estimates is that you can only really estimate the best-case scenario - how long it seems like it would take if there were no surprises. If yo

The problem with estimates is that you can only really estimate the best-case scenario - how long it seems like it would take if there were no surprises. If you base your estimate more on past experience ("I've never done this exactly, but I did something similar to this once before and it took a month"), the people demanding the estimates are going to push back and demand you itemize - mostly for the purposes of "negotiating down" your initial estimate. Which, of course, isn't an "estimate" in their mind, it's a rock-solid guarantee. After 30 years in this profession, I've lost hope that we'll ever get away from the mindset that developing software is a mindless, mechanical, repetitive task rather than a creative endeavor.