estimating-work

Estimate effort for development tasks. Use when planning sprints, roadmaps, or project timelines. Covers story points, relative estimation, and uncertainty.

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Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/development/estimating-work

SKILL.md

Estimating Work

Estimation Approaches

Story Points

Relative complexity, not time.

Points	Complexity
1	Trivial, well understood
2	Simple, minor unknowns
3	Moderate complexity
5	Complex, some unknowns
8	Very complex, significant unknowns
13	Extremely complex, many unknowns
21+	Too big, needs decomposition

T-Shirt Sizing

For high-level estimates.

Size	Relative Effort
XS	Hours
S	1-2 days
M	3-5 days
L	1-2 weeks
XL	2-4 weeks

Estimation Factors

Consider:

Complexity: How difficult is the problem?
Uncertainty: How much is unknown?
Effort: How much work is involved?
Risk: What could go wrong?

Estimation Techniques

Planning Poker

Present the task
Everyone selects estimate privately
Reveal simultaneously
Discuss outliers
Re-estimate if needed

Three-Point Estimation

Expected = (Optimistic + 4×Likely + Pessimistic) / 6

Reference Stories

Keep calibration stories:

"This 3-point story took 2 days"
"This 8-point story took a week"

Common Pitfalls

Anchoring: First estimate biases others
Optimism: Underestimating unknowns
Scope Creep: Original estimate doesn't match final scope
Ignoring Overhead: Code review, testing, deployment

Tips

Estimate in ranges, not points
Include buffer for unknowns
Track actual vs. estimated
Re-estimate when scope changes
Don't estimate in hours (use relative sizing)