this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2025
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"I'd like you to to give me a time estimate, including the time taken to define the task and it's exact scope."
"You want me to do that before telling me what you want me to do or letting me think about what that'll entail?"
"Look, I just need you to pull an arbitrary number out of your ass and give it to me in writing, so I can hang you out to dry when you inevitably get it wrong."
Gives a number.
"Why is it going to take so long?"
The irony being that really fully understanding what all a task will require and getting exact specificaion can often make a task take longer.
In my experience, it takes exactly as long as the task itself requires, but the bonus is that the task is then also complete
Doing the task estimates the task.
It's the bestimate.
“We need it, so we can determine timelines. Btw, it needs to be done in three months.”
Easy solution: Add a large margin for uncertainty.