alt Hacker NewsBecause "the manager says so" or because "estimates actually add some value"?
I think it's important that our "work culture" allows us to critique why we do certain tasks. When push comes to shove, I guess a manager can say: "Because I say so!", but I also hope those kind of managers are few and far between.
Both, kind of. The demand to have at least a rough estimate when something will be available is justified IMHO—other departments obviously need to maintain their own timelines and schedule work that depends on output from engineering.
Also, I wholeheartedly agree that we do need to question the work culture we follow and the measures we make, and that managers with control issues shouldn't dictate them.
On the other hand, the point I was getting to is that a critique of estimation that amounts to "the work I do is so bespoke and unique and novel and important that I can't be bothered to estimate how long it'll take", is just… ignorant. Most software engineers are not lone wolf 10X wizards without any accountability, have managers and other departments to report to, and thus are not eligible to make that point.