I have heard and read so many of these. “It’s just a… ” you name it!
This usually comes from someone who wants you to be 10 times more optimistic about the task at hand than you would be. Programmers are inherently optimistic. So there is no need for more optimism.
We, as software engineers, need to explain to clients why it’s not “just a web page” or “a text box” or an “email notification.” For example, web pages need to be cross-browser compatible (ie. Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari and now.. Chrome on both Mac and Windows)
There are a lot of aspects that we consider and clients don’t. That’s why they pay us to do it. It’s always positive to explain these aspects when presenting an estimate.
Always be realistic about your estimate. Don’t let the “It’s just a…” influence your estimate. Follow a process. Separate the task in sub-tasks. Estimate effort for each sub-task. Add up your estimate.
And most importantly, support your estimate with your expertise. You will always get the “12 hours?!? I thought it would take 2 hours.” from a client or boss. Stand behind your estimate and defend it with facts and your expertise.
“It’s just a…”
“It’s just a web page. ”
“It’s just a text box.”
“It’s just an email notification.”
I have heard and read so many of these. “It’s just a… ” you name it!
This usually comes from someone who wants you to be 10 times more optimistic about the task at hand than you would be. Programmers are inherently optimistic. So there is no need for more optimism.
We, as software engineers, need to explain to clients why it’s not “just a web page” or “a text box” or an “email notification.” For example, web pages need to be cross-browser compatible (ie. Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari and now.. Chrome on both Mac and Windows)
There are a lot of aspects that we consider and clients don’t. That’s why they pay us to do it. It’s always positive to explain these aspects when presenting an estimate.
Always be realistic about your estimate. Don’t let the “It’s just a…” influence your estimate. Follow a process. Separate the task in sub-tasks. Estimate effort for each sub-task. Add up your estimate.
And most importantly, support your estimate with your expertise. You will always get the “12 hours?!? I thought it would take 2 hours.” from a client or boss. Stand behind your estimate and defend it with facts and your expertise.