Episode 115: Project Estimation
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Estimate how long your next project will take.
News and Follow/Ups – 00:42
- Jade is sick, Mark soon to follow
Geek Tools – 02:42
Webapps – 07:20
- Bubbalon – Set your feelings about anything
- Griddle It – Get a quick grid background to make sure you are lined up (via Phil Downer)
Project Estimation – 13:22
- Why is underestimating is so common?
- The technologies for the project haven’t been used before
- At the time of estimating there are grey areas or complete unknowns
- No previous project ‘estimated vs. actual’ data analysis has been conducted to draw on
- Estimating time for a project is not fun
- The more you can break down a project into its basic components, the easier it will be for you to estimate.
- General Tips
- Add a margin of error
- + / – 15% for wiggle room
- For example, if our final estimate was $10,000, our estimate will show a final total of $8,500 – $11,500.
- Document your estimation and how you come up with it
- Estimation is not a commitment. Commitment is one number, estimation is always a range.
- Your clients won’t expect you to know exactly how long it will take, a range will suffice.
- Try to divide your work into smaller chunks, at least 10% or less than the total effort.
- Watch out for scope creep as it will through all estimations out the window
- Add a margin of error
- Strategies
- -1st Count, 2nd compute, 3rd judge
- Try to identify items in your work which are countable e.g files, classes, UIs, etc.
- Calculate using this data the effort (in person/days).
- Use judgement as the last resort
- -1st Count, 2nd compute, 3rd judge
April 5th, 2011 at 5:05 am
I think blue light is also suppose to stimulate your brain and keep you awake.
April 5th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I thought Tyghe was just blowing smoke, but it’s true! http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13491-blue-leds-to-reset-tired-truckers-body-clocks.html