For many engineers, planning represents the antithesis of what we love about building software. We relish exploring new problems, researching and desi

Planning for Momentum - Increment

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2024-11-19 20:00:04

For many engineers, planning represents the antithesis of what we love about building software. We relish exploring new problems, researching and designing solutions, and delivering code we’re proud of. But an inflexible or unrealistic plan can be a bucket of cold water that rouses us from our dreamy fantasies of pure engineering to the cruel, cruel world of mind-bending Gantt charts, weekly check-ins, unforeseen hurdles, and missed due dates.

Plans and estimation are hard. After all, each project and feature represents something you’ve never built before, and the complexity inherent in software development means there will always be surprises—and not the kind you’d want to get on your birthday. That’s why iterative approaches to software development, such as agile, focus on delivering work continuously and in small increments so teams can adapt to the unexpected.

However, even planning in smaller chunks has its challenges. We’ve all had a sprint blow up on us due to that one-hour ticket that took a whole week to complete. So why not stop estimating altogether? The #NoEstimates movement popularized on Twitter takes a radical view on planning and estimation, suggesting that instead of spending time calculating every piece of desired functionality in a requirements document, engineers should simply pick the highest-priority item, break it down into its component parts, and deliver it as quickly as possible.