Send in your assignment specs, answer some of our questions, and we'll give you a good estimate of how long it should really take.

For procastinators and people who always get it wrong... by far.
-- pashute, Nov 01 2015

This could be a free "service" if you just send an rfq to someone who charges outrageous hourly rates and see how long they say it will take.
-- 4and20, Nov 01 2015


How long will your estimate take?
-- tatterdemalion, Nov 02 2015


I have unrealistic expectations.
-- tatterdemalion, Nov 02 2015


Well I have experealistic unctations
-- pocmloc, Nov 03 2015


You can get a topical cream for that now.

"The first ninety percent if the project takes ninety percent of the time. The last ten percent of the project takes the other ninety percent of the time."
-- 8th of 7, Nov 03 2015


I always thought the rule of thumb was take how long you reckon it will take to do, double it and then move up a time scale. Thus, you think it'll take a day, then say two weeks. Five hours? Then ten days. It's always worked for me.
-- Gordon Comstock, Nov 03 2015


They tried that with the Space Shuttle. Didn't end well.
-- 8th of 7, Nov 03 2015


[Gordon] (+), thanks. The problem is that most of us give such bad estimates, even after the 2*scaleup algorithm, that in the end take upon ourselves stuff that can never really be done in a lifetime.
-- pashute, Nov 05 2015


So the key to giving an estimate is in your scope (which is narrow) and your assumptions (which are veldt like in scale). If you can make clear that your estimate is predicated on all interested parties other than yourself behaving like rational people instead of bonobos on benzedrine then you're golden. Of course the professional estimators will build these same assumptions and scope limits into what they give to you, which you will have to back to back to your own clients.
-- calum, Nov 05 2015


You always must factor in the snafu adjustments.
-- xandram, Nov 06 2015


Wow [Gordon], you really are as old as time, I think.
-- blissmiss, Nov 07 2015


[Bliss] My friends don't call me Methuselah for nothing. Come to think of it, they don't call me Methuselah.
-- Gordon Comstock, Nov 11 2015



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