Learn why absolute time estimates fail on complex IT work and how relative sizing fixes it. Master Story Points, Planning Poker and T-shirt sizing, and turn estimation into a fast, consistent conversation that surfaces hidden assumptions rather than a false-precision number.
Watch the free preview
Why absolute time estimates break down on IT work — free to watch, no account needed.
What you'll learn
- Explain why absolute time estimates are unreliable for complex, uncertain IT work
- Apply relative sizing with Story Points to compare backlog items by effort, complexity and uncertainty
- Facilitate a Planning Poker session that surfaces disagreement as useful conversation, not just a number
- Use T-shirt sizing, a Fibonacci-style scale and reference stories to estimate quickly and consistently
- Produce a one-page Estimation Session Facilitation Guide your team will actually use
Syllabus
Why We Estimate, and Why Time Estimates Fail
Why absolute time estimates break down on IT workFree preview
Relative sizing and the idea of the Story Point
The Techniques — Planning Poker and Relative Scales
Planning Poker as a structured estimation conversation
T-shirt sizing, the scale, and reference stories
Estimation in Real IT Delivery
Estimating a backlog and forecasting from velocity
Case study — the 2-versus-13 estimate
Making Estimation Stick
Building your Estimation Session Facilitation Guide
Common estimation traps and anti-patterns