How I Estimate Work as a Staff Software Engineer

18 days ago

Estimating software project timelines is inherently flawed due to the dominance of unknown work over known work.
Estimates in software engineering are often political tools used by non-engineers to decide project funding and cancellations.
The traditional approach to estimation is reversed: teams often start with a desired timeline and then define the work to fit it.
Effective estimation involves understanding political context, focusing on unknowns, and presenting risk assessments rather than fixed timelines.
Engineers must balance pragmatism with trust-building to provide useful estimates without always declaring projects impossible.
The article critiques common estimation practices and suggests a more realistic, context-aware approach to estimating software work.

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