Better Estimates Are Possible on Agile Teams

Overview
The article discusses why teams often struggle with estimation, highlighting human biases, past experiences, and team dynamics that affect accuracy. It explains that people are better at estimating familiar tasks, offers practical advice such as using ranges instead of single numbers, and cites research showing software estimates are typically within 20-30% of actuals.

Key Takeaways

• Estimation is heavily influenced by human bias, experience, and team dynamics.
• Familiar tasks are estimated more accurately than unfamiliar ones.
• Using ranges rather than single-point estimates improves usefulness.
• Research indicates software estimates are usually within 20-30% of actual effort.
• Involving the whole team and building shared understanding leads to better estimates.

Who Would Benefit

• Agile Scrum Masters and coaches
• Engineering managers and technical leads
• Product owners and project managers
• Developers participating in planning sessions
• Anyone looking to improve estimation practices in software projects

Frameworks and Methodologies

• Scrum
• Story Points
• Agile Planning