I'm not quite sure how to phrase it, but I'd try to change the way you're talking about it. You're not negotiating the amount of time it'll take. You're discu

I'm not quite sure how to phrase it, but I'd try to change the way you're talking about it. You're not negotiating the amount of time it'll take. You're discussing what it would mean for it to take shorter or longer. For example: "if you want it done in 2 weeks instead of 2 months, we can get to X functionality while sacrificing Y." Or: "what would it mean for you if we were to get this done in 2 months instead of two weeks? How would it affect you?" Basically: try to get to more of the root of why they're questioning your estimates without putting on the table the notion that you can magically change the truth about how much time things will take. As others have said, also express your degree of uncertainty. Try to leave your ego out of it and make sure you're not giving them some sort of subconscious ammo that you're hiding something or being manipulative. > To me this is insanely disrespectful of the team, and it seems as though it's a boundary violation on some level. You're right, but if their deep belief is that your team just isn't adequate, you need to force them to bring it up. Yes, it will be insulting to find this out, but people tend to dance around these things with euphemisms and coded language, and one of the best things you can do is get it out in the open.