4 min lecture • Guide 251 of 877
How to Estimate Development Tasks Accurately
Estimation accuracy improves with data, not guessing. GitScrum tracks actual vs estimated time per task, helping teams calibrate estimates based on historical performance. Combined with proper task breakdown and pattern recognition, teams can significantly reduce estimation errors.
Why Estimates Fail
Common Estimation Problems
ESTIMATION FAILURES:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WHY ESTIMATES ARE OFTEN WRONG │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ❌ OPTIMISM BIAS: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ • "Should take 2 hours" → takes 8 hours ││
│ │ • Best-case thinking, not realistic ││
│ │ • Ignoring unknowns and complexity ││
│ │ • Pressure to give lower estimates ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ ❌ UNCLEAR SCOPE: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ • "Add login" → means different things to different ││
│ │ people (basic auth? OAuth? MFA? Password reset?) ││
│ │ • Hidden requirements emerge during development ││
│ │ • Edge cases not considered upfront ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ ❌ NO FEEDBACK LOOP: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ • Estimates never compared to actuals ││
│ │ • Same estimation mistakes repeated ││
│ │ • No learning from past data ││
│ │ • Gut feel never calibrated ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Estimation Best Practices
Improving Accuracy
| Practice | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Task breakdown | Smaller tasks = smaller errors |
| Story points | Relative sizing reduces anchoring |
| Planning poker | Team consensus catches blind spots |
| Track actuals | Compare estimate vs reality |
| Reference tasks | "Similar to task X which took Y" |
Data-Driven Estimation
Using Historical Data
ESTIMATION WORKFLOW:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CALIBRATING WITH DATA │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ 1. TRACK ESTIMATES AND ACTUALS: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ • Add estimate field when creating tasks ││
│ │ • Log actual time when completing ││
│ │ • Export data monthly for analysis ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ 2. IDENTIFY PATTERNS: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ • "API endpoints take 1.5x our estimates" ││
│ │ • "Frontend tasks are accurate" ││
│ │ • "Integration work takes 2x estimates" ││
│ │ • Apply multipliers based on patterns ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ 3. CREATE REFERENCE LIBRARY: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Task Type Typical Effort ││
│ │ ───────────────────────────────────── ││
│ │ Simple endpoint 3 story points ││
│ │ CRUD feature 5 story points ││
│ │ Third-party API 8 story points ││
│ │ New auth system 13 story points ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Task Breakdown
Decomposition Strategy
- Max 1 day per task - If larger, break down
- Clear acceptance criteria - "Done when X, Y, Z"
- Identify dependencies - Factor in wait time
- Add testing time - Often forgotten in estimates
- Buffer for unknowns - 20-30% for new territory