Hi everyone! I'm a web developer looking to get better at estimating the development effort for new features. When we receive a request for a new feature, accurately estimating the time and effort required can be challenging.
I'm curious to know how you all approach this task. What methods or tools do you use to ensure your estimates are as accurate as possible? Also, how do you avoid underestimating or overestimating the effort involved?
I'd love to hear about your strategies and any advice you have to share. Thanks in advance for your help!
I really found this quote illuminating:
> When executives ask for an “estimate,” they’re often asking for a commitment or for a plan to meet a target. The distinctions between estimates, targets, and commitments are critical to understanding what an estimate is, what an estimate is not, and how to make your estimates better.
It's a pretty deep book that discusses everything around estimating:
- how to estimate and what things get missed during estimation
- why estimates gets missed
Really recommended.
[0]: https://www.amazon.com/Software-Estimation-Demystifying-Deve...