Agile
Story
Estimation

About me

Alejandro Vidal Rodriguez
Director of Engineering @TribalScale

Agenda

• How does it work?

• Defining the one.

• Poker estimation and fibonacci series.

• Points & hours.

• Size of good stories.

• Velocity vs acceleration.

• The focus should be on acceleration not on velocity.

We are a

construction company

How to estimate

• Explain the story
• Everybody ask fast questions
• Throw your cards
• Discussions between the low - high
• Rethrow cards
• Discussion - alternative proposal
• Definition of DONE

Defining 1

Important key points

• Everybody participates
• No task should be bigger that what can be accomplished in a sprint.
• Velocity is calculated from the last X sprints and it changes over time.
• The focus should be on acceleration not on velocity.

Goal

• Understand how much work can get done
• Never under estimate or over estimate
• Have a burndown to see how are we doing.
• Help prioritize task for business.

Time to practice!

https://www.pivotaltracker.com/n/projects/2319900

Avoid

• Averaging to 3
• If a story is not clear it should not be estimated.
• Give options to your PO.
• Over estimating.
• Estimate as if you would do it.
• Estimate only development.
• Estimate uncertainty.
• Velocity volatility.
• Coming unprepared to the estimation meeting.

Well done!