12 December 2023 by Phillip Johnston • Last updated 14 March 2024Fantastical schedules are a common problem we (and many others) experience. These are schedules that are completely unrealistic and usually known to be so. However, some influential portion of the team/leadership insists that the schedule is valid and must be met. Even if the “drop dead” date is valid (e.g., the company will run out of money), the reason is rarely communicated to the team. There are several causes that can lead to fantastical schedules. Multiple may be present at any time. Arbitrary Schedules Created by Management Schedules Rely …
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After we shared estimation thoughts on Twitter, we received a question in the Embedded.fm slack group: What do you guys do for estimates and how do you improve your estimates? Any resources to help understand estimates more or just helpful things in general? Following our article on why we estimate, we’ve put together a series …
Continue reading "Improving Our Estimation Abilities: Other Approaches"
After we shared estimation thoughts on Twitter, we received a question in the Embedded.fm slack group: What do you guys do for estimates and how do you improve your estimates? Any resources to help understand estimates more or just helpful things in general? Following our article on why we estimate, we’ve put together a series …
Continue reading "Improving Our Estimation Abilities: Practical Lessons Learned"
After we shared estimation thoughts on Twitter, we received a question in the Embedded.fm slack group: What do you guys do for estimates and how do you improve your estimates? Any resources to help understand estimates more or just helpful things in general? Following our article on why we estimate, we’ve put together a series …
Continue reading "Improving Our Estimation Abilities: Embedded Artistry’s Approach"
After we shared estimation thoughts on Twitter, we received a question in the Embedded.fm slack group: What do you guys do for estimates and how do you improve your estimates? Any resources to help understand estimates more or just helpful things in general? Following our article on why we estimate, we’ve put together a series …
Continue reading "Improving Our Estimation Abilities: Human Biases"
We’ve received multiple questions about how to approach estimation after we shared our thoughts on Twitter. As Rozi and I were discussing our ideas around engineering project time estimation, we realized that there tends to be a crucial nuance that’s missing when folks discuss estimation: why you are making an estimate is critical in determining …
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I expect that many of you are familiar with the Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule), which states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. The Pareto principle can be applied to any domain. For example, Tim Ferris espouses the principle to learning by identifying and focusing on the 20% of …
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In a previous blog post I highlighted Murphy's Law, which famously states "Everything that can go wrong, will". Today I will introduce you to Hofstadter's Law, another useful tool for programmers to keep in mind. Hofstadter's law states: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law. This law …
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