Home > Work > Agile Estimating and Planning
1 " To be uncertain is to be uncomfortable, but to be certain is to be ridiculous.” —Chinese proverb "
― Mike Cohn , Agile Estimating and Planning
2 " No plan survives contact with the enemy." —Field Marshal Helmuth Graf von Moltke "
3 " If you tie iterations to the ends of months, one out of every three iterations will coincide with the end of a fiscal quarter. "
4 " A key tenet of agile estimating and planning is that we estimate size but derive duration. "
5 " Because the estimate for each feature is made relative to the estimates for other features, it does not matter if our estimates are correct, a little incorrect, or a lot incorrect. What matters is that they are consistent. "
6 " No one should sign up for more than one or two cards at a time. "
7 " Individuals should be given every incentive possible to work as a team. If the team’s throughput is increased by my helping someone else, that’s what I should do. Team velocity matters; individual velocity doesn’t. "
8 " The cone of uncertainty shows that during the feasibility phase of a project a schedule estimate is typically as far off as 60% to 160%. That is, a project expected to take 20 weeks could take anywhere from 12 to 32 weeks. After the requirements are written, the estimate might still be off +/- 15% in either direction. So an estimate of 20 weeks means work that takes 17 to 23 weeks. Figure 1.1. The cone of uncertainty narrows as the project progresses. "
9 " Planning is everything. Plans are nothing." —Field Marshal Helmuth Graf von Moltke "
10 " Some projects are undertaken to generate revenue and others to cut expenses, and some strive for both. If we can estimate the amount of money that will be made or saved by each theme, we can use that to help prioritize. "
11 " Even with a well-intentioned and highly communicative team, it is possible that the results of an iteration could be found worthless when shown to the broader organization or external users at the conclusion of the iteration. "