Beyond Estimates (Estimates and NoEstimates) with speaker Woody Zuill
Details
Join us at Agile Iowa as we host Woody Zuill for this talk and engaging conversation on Beyond Estimates.
The default use of an "estimate-driven" approach is pervasive in software development efforts, and while estimates can be useful for some things, it is worthwhile to scrutinize our use of estimates for cost, time, and effort of software development, and to seek better ways to manage software development.
We say we depend on estimates to make important decisions, and yet we’re often disappointed by the result. This is persistent and pervasive - I've noticed it for over 20 years, and I've seen it almost everywhere I've worked or coached. So why do we keep believing that we must use estimates?
We'll explore the purpose and use of estimates in the management of software development efforts, and consider some of the problems with them. There are a number of things to explore and many questions to ask. For example, are we getting a reasonable benefit from estimates? Is there a way to prove that estimates are helping us make good decisions? Is it possible to manage software development projects without these estimates, or at least with fewer estimates?
I don't have a lot of answers, but it's important to explore the possibilities.