Attila Buturla

What is #NoEstimates? If you spend much time on Twitter following agile, chances are you have seen the hashtag #NoEstimates. It jumps right out at you; it's catchy, controversial, and thought provoking. Unfortunately, the name is somewhat misleading, although it does help get the conversation started. To being with, #NoEstimates does not mean "do not estimate". I can't fault anyone for getting confused by the name, as it does seem to imply that. Rather, to quote Woody Zuill , the originator of the term:   #NoEstimates is a hashtag for the topic of exploring alternatives to estimates [of time, effort, cost] for making decisions in software development.  That is, ways to make decisions with “No Estimates”. So just to reiterate, it's about questioning how we use estimates today, and exploring alternatives. It is not a prescriptive process on how to run your projects, or how to make decisions. It'a just an idea that asks a question. That's it. Now a lo...

For today's blog posting I thought I'd do something different. I'm going to tell a story about a real project that I worked on to help illustrate a point. Some of my more recent postings have focused on the various ways to deliver software, and some suggestions on how best to run software projects. More specifically, I've advocated an approach that focuses on quality of the software over when it will be delivered. If you deliver a great piece of software it can potentially be a game changer. Software can make your company more efficient, or give it a competitive advantage. In some cases it can even impact the lives of millions of people, or potentially make you rich. What's important is getting the software right. Of course you, your company, or your client don't have unlimited funds. There does need to be a balance. But what's ultimately going to determine the success of the software is how well it does it's job. If it doesn't do it's job well...