Key takeaways
- An estimate is an estimate, not an exact figure; ask about goals, stakeholders and availability before you put a number on anything.
- Break work down to task-level estimates so the total is defensible and translates into a timeline.
- Compare projects against a baseline and use sprint retrospectives so the next estimate is more accurate.
- When someone wants it faster, educate them on the breakdown and say 'no, but here is what we would have to cut or add'.
- Team-based estimating makes people own their numbers, and a tight estimate can act as a useful constraint.
About this episode
Nathan and John are joined again by PM guru Brett Harned to talk about estimating projects.