Software Estimation Quotes

“The only way to reduce the variability in the estimate is to reduce the variability in the project.”
― Steve McConnell, Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art

“When executives ask for an “estimate,” they’re often asking for a commitment or for a plan to meet a target.”
― Steve McConnell, Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art

“Well-Estimated Project If the estimation inputs and process are well-defined, arbitrarily changing the output is not a rational action. Project stakeholders might not like the output, but the appropriate corrective action is to adjust the inputs (for example, reduce the project’s scope) and to recalculate the outputs, not just to change the output to a different answer.”
― Steve McConnell, Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art

“The process is called estimation, not exactimation. —Phillip Armour”
― Steve McConnell, Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art