The #NoEstimates Debate: An Unbiased Look At Origins, Arguments, and Leaders

New submitter MikeTechDude writes: Estimates have always been an integral part of the software development process. In recent years, however, developers, including Woody Zuill and Vasco Duarte, have begun to question the efficacy, and even the purpose, of using estimates to predict a project's cost and time line. A fierce debate has sprung up on Twitter, between those calling for an end to estimates and those who continue to champion their use in a professional setting. On the surface, it would appear that the debate is black and white. Proponents of the #NoEstimates Twitter hashtag are promoting a hard stop to all estimates industry-wide, and critics of the movement are insisting on a conservative approach that leaves little room for innovation. However, the reality of the debate has unfolded in far more complex, nuanced shades of gray. HP's Malcolm Isaacs digs deep and pinpoints where the debate started, where it now stands, and what its implications are for the future of software development. Meanwhile, Martin Heller offers his less unbiased approach with his post, #NoEstimates? Not so fast.

Comments

Re:Estimates

[gweihir]

Not so. The second one has a correct and professional answer: "I do not know. This will require a pre-study. But adding new requirements during the process is right out, then the pre-study has to be repeated and the project reset." and on the pre-study you _can_ deliver a reasonable estimate.

It is not only bosses demanding infeasible things. It is also coders not enlightening them on what is possible and what is not.