That would be OK if they actually let you learn while doing, which is my preferred way of learning. But they ask you to give ironclad estimates for how long it'

That would be OK if they actually let you learn while doing, which is my preferred way of learning. But they ask you to give ironclad estimates for how long it's going to take to implement <insert completely unclear requirement in one sentence> in <technology nobody has heard of so far>. They can go do whatever they want to themselves. Either tell me what cool new tech you want me to try out and what problems we might want to solve soonish and I'll see which of those and how it might be applicable to or you tell me you want to build <whatever it is> in whatever tech I think will get me there best and fastest. If you know so much, do it yourself. Oh you can't? Well then STFU (not you you but that proverbial manager type above you that seems to know so much)