I've been on all sides of this issue. Producing code, managing teams, providing estimates, negotiating deadlines, pre-sales, small teams, large orgs, the works.

I've been on all sides of this issue. Producing code, managing teams, providing estimates, negotiating deadlines, pre-sales, small teams, large orgs, the works. Deadlines and estimates are all smoke and mirrors, all bullshit. Sometimes that can be fine, but it becomes a problem when the stakes are high (for some definition of "high") and when negotiating power is removed from some group -- and frankly that group is always the one shovelling coal in the engine room. I'd love to see the coal-shovellers in a position to apply as much pressure to the sales/whatever teams and upper management. I mean, it would surely be a disaster, but an entertaining one. Milgram's prison experiment all over again.