Agile Estimation

"How long will that take?"

It seems like such a simple question, yet it is one of the hardest for software developers to accurately answer. Inconveniently, it is also one of the most important. How can a business decide if it should invest in a development project, if it doesn't have a meaningful estimate on how much the project will cost, and how long it will take to complete?

This workshop combines a bit of agile theory, a good dose of lessons learned through hard experience, and interactive activities so that participants can learn by doing. We examine the pros and cons of various estimation units, such as 'Ideal Hours', 'T-Shirt Sizes', 'lines of code', and even 'Gummi Bears'. The vital concept of velocity is explained, as is the interplay between estimates, iterations, and release planning. All of this comes together to allow a software team to provide the business with meaningful estimates.

The final activity will be a participatory simulation of an entire software release. Participants will estimate, plan, run iterations, adjust to changing business needs, and (hopefully!) successfully release their 'product'.