This was recently a topic of discussion I lead along with other engineering leads. I reflected back on my own experience because I remember how early in my career, software estimation would cause stress, anxiety, and worry. I knew how to do the work, but the uncertainty tied to this was a challenge. The truth is that software estimation is hard, often imprecise, and sometimes wildly off. And yet, it’s a necessary part of planning.

A lot of people head to programming school–i.e. computer science departments–with the goal of getting the education necessary to become software engineers at Amazon, Google, Facebook, etc. There’s a desire to learn the necessary skills to contribute to software projects. However, there often appears to be a disconnect between what is taught and what is useful in successfully delivering software products on time. Experience is the best teacher for an individual desiring to work in the software field.

This is an excerpt from an article by Mike Acton on effectively using time during software projects. The List 1. Help! I’m constantly distracted by email, IM, random things. Block no-email time in your calendar. It’s less complicated than it seems. Even just two hours a day could make a massive difference. Trust me, if it’s that urgent, someone will figure out how to find you. 2. Consistency is the key Each morning write down one thing you can accomplish that day that would make the day worth it.

Delivering Software Value on Time–Cut The Bullshit This is a synopsis of an article written by the famed software professional, Mike Acton; that article Introductory Bullshit Detection For Non-technical Managers is a great resource, providing advice for non-technical managers on how to assure that software projects are on time, under budget, and delivering value. Much of this advice is useful for individual programmers as well. There may be cases where project managers aren’t asking these type of questions and the last line of defense becomes the programmers themselves.