Respect estimates

src: Respect estimates by Jarek Ratajski - Invidious

Abstract

• estimations are always random
• estimations are almost always not precise
• by design

The only sure method: do the task and tell how much time it took afterwards.

In practice: estimation is a process of keeping software developers frustrated.

In software development, we do not repeat ourselves, compare to building projects.

Who needs estimates, anyway? Does your project needs them?

• fixed price projects
• budgeting
• feasibility study

The only result of having better estimates is the possibility to play scrum tetris.

What is story point? It is just unit of time, just indirect.

Lesson about velocity: an hour has approximately 60 minutes.

Alternatives: 1, 2, 3 or infinity (trivial, boring risky too big).

Velocity somehow became the goal, perfect estimates became the goal, nice charts became the goal.

The critical resource is not developer time, it's developer energy.