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“Beyond Estimates with Woody Zuill” - Episode 252 Summary
Key Takeaways
- Estimates are essentially just guesses and not reliable facts
- Estimates in software development can often do more harm than good
- Instead of estimates, the focus should be on value creation and quick feedback
- Short iterations and real data are more important than prior estimates
- The complex nature of software development makes accurate estimates very difficult
Important Questions Addressed
- What is an estimate really and how useful are estimates?
- Why do organizations stick to estimates?
- What alternatives are there to traditional estimates?
- How can you work without estimates?
- What role do psychological factors play in estimates?
Glossary
- Cycle Time: Time between start and end of a task including waiting times
- Lead Time: Total time from initial request to delivery
- Work Time: Pure working time on a task
- No Estimates: Approach to software development without traditional effort estimates
- Chaos Report: Standish Group study on success and failure rates of IT projects
- Complex Domain: Area with high uncertainty and unpredictability (according to Cynefin Framework)