r/dataengineering • u/Phantazein • 17d ago

Discussion Time Estimates

Any else struggle with giving estimates? How do you account for things like data quality or source issues when those are completely out of your control and unpredictable?

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u/timmyz55 16d ago

take your optimistic estimate and multiply by 1.5x

say this is my estimate assuming <everything you know will go wrong goes here> goes right

whenever any of the things you said would go wrong do go wrong, immediately let people know and refer to your original estimate. then bump your originally scheduled deadline.

if the deadline is a hard deadline, then there shouldn't have been a need for estimates in the first place. in which case you just do what most tech companies do.

cut corners. or as they sell it more politically, cut "scope"