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> stick to the estimate If you were right. I’ve never met anybody who could accurately estimate a software project, and I’ve been doing this for 30 years.
by commandlinefan 4y ago
> stick to the estimate
If you were right. I’ve never met anybody who could accurately estimate a software project, and I’ve been doing this for 30 years.
- rileymat2 4y agoIt is a rare combination to have the technical skill and experience along with soft skills like humility that make it somewhat rare. But useful estimates are absolutely possible. The question is one of range, with humility you can hit estimation ranges defined by how familiar the project is and how well defined the project is. There are many developed techniques that we just don’t implement. By in large, most estimates I have seen were some weird gut. Not defined no milestones. “Yeah, about two weeks boss” Often estimates come before requirements. Those will be wrong more often than not. Many times I will estimate the estimate. The “bigger” the project the longer the estimate takes. People are afraid to admit any knowledge gap. People switch jobs every 2 years, I have been at the same place 10, and before that 8. You learn the cadence, you learn the pain points. You learn the traps. You learn the domain. These can be accurate. But this is not the OP’s issue as stated, he is lowering estimates in the face of pressure. This will nearly always fail.
- newswasboring 4y agoYeah, all models are wrong, but some models are useful. As far as I understand, the goal of estimates is not to pressure you, it's to promise something to someone. As long as you are good enough, business decisions can be made. And that includes figuring out when something is off track, which is one of the primary goals of management.