The No #NoEstimates

The No #NoEstimates

In September of last year I published my article on #NoEstimates here. I also tweeted about it and Vasco Duarte, the book’s author, re-tweeted my tweet.

This caused strong reactions from people that appal the #NoEstimates ideas. I got personally attacked (got called “a newcomer getting sucked-in”) by people that didn’t bother to first get to know me and who warned me that “#NoEstimates champs are resorting to name-calling. It’s like a cult :)”. Although there was a smiley added there, calling #NoEstimates a cult and counting me as one of the devotees didn’t feel either respectful or welcoming.

But then again, it is only Twitter, where people try to discuss by using tweets of just 140 characters. And when you are not a native English speaker, personal opinions might appear harsher. I have barely used Twitter after that, I just don’t think it’s a place where you can have meaningful discussions.

I have also decided to look into the ideas of the No #NoEstimates camp. To my disappointment, the frustration and hostility I received on Twitter was also noticeable on Glen’s and Peter’s articles. I personally believe that’s a pitty, because irrespective of who’s started it, fighting with eachother is rather distructing. Both camps have ideas worth exploring and a healthy discussion could bring us further.

To my delight, I have found a post by George Dinwiddie who, I believe, totally nails it. You can find his post here

You can also have a look at Glen’s post here and Peter’s post here

The what, why and how of #NoEstimates

The what, why and how of #NoEstimates

I have recently spent some time looking more closely into the #NoEstimates movement. There is a substantial amount of information to be found on the internet, just look it up with your favorite search engine. Ron Jeffries, Woody Zuill, Neil Killick, Steve Fenton, Vasco Duarte, Angel Medinilla and many more share their experience in working with estimates. In this post I would like to share some thoughts with you and try to present the basic ideas conveyed in the “No Estimates” book by Vasco Duarte which I have just finished reading.

#NoEstimates is a catchy, rather provoking, term that questions the practice of estimating software development work. After all, if like Steve McConnell in his “Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art” book, you accept that good estimating means being within 25% of the actual duration of a project 75% of the time, would you bet your money on it? I know the #NoEstimates movement people wouldn’t! Instead, they suggest we should stop trying to get better in estimating and start forecasting instead.

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