Interactive lessons on software estimation. Based on Steve McConnell's Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art.
Estimates vs targets vs commitments. Why estimates are probability ranges, not single numbers. The Cone of Uncertainty.
Cognitive biases, the Cone of Uncertainty in depth, requirements creep, diseconomies of scale, and chaotic processes.
McConnell's core hierarchy. What to count, how to convert counts to estimates, and when judgment is unavoidable.
Using past data to calibrate future estimates. Industry benchmarks, productive hours, and expert judgment pitfalls.
PERT three-point estimation, work breakdown structures, the best/worst case trap, and estimation by analogy.
Story points, t-shirt sizing, fuzzy logic, Wideband Delphi, and Planning Poker. Individual and group techniques.
Function points, the schedule equation, the 25% compression wall, and Brooks's Law. The math of project planning.
Communicating uncertainty, principled negotiation, handling politics, and the ethics of estimation. The capstone.
Based on Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art by Steve McConnell. Each lesson distills a section of the book into interactive exercises you can learn from in minutes.
No frameworks. No build tools. Just vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — open any lesson file in a browser and start learning.