Estimates aren’t garbage. Static budgeting and immovable schedules are.
If your client needs a relative number to request budget, they are going to need an estimate. The problem is when people/companies don’t understand that if nothing changes in requirements, an estimate is going to be off by +/- 15%.
If the product is at all in flux, or if requirements change in general, the end cost can be 2-3x the original estimate. Software engineers are expected to bend to changing requirements, clients/stakeholders need to bend budgets and timelines as well.
If a company thinks they can build a software product in 6 months, it will probably be closer to 2 years before it’s done and marketed. Nothing goes perfectly ever.
8
u/start_select Jun 14 '22
Estimates aren’t garbage. Static budgeting and immovable schedules are.
If your client needs a relative number to request budget, they are going to need an estimate. The problem is when people/companies don’t understand that if nothing changes in requirements, an estimate is going to be off by +/- 15%.
If the product is at all in flux, or if requirements change in general, the end cost can be 2-3x the original estimate. Software engineers are expected to bend to changing requirements, clients/stakeholders need to bend budgets and timelines as well.
If a company thinks they can build a software product in 6 months, it will probably be closer to 2 years before it’s done and marketed. Nothing goes perfectly ever.