Estimating is important. Be good at it.

Estimation is a cornerstone skill for technology leaders. Development teams often bristle at the activity of estimation, and for good reason: It’s hard. However, businesses run on predictions.

Predictions are the currency exchange between teams, and between leaders. One team’s predicted outcomes may be another’s underlying assumptions. It is imperative to develop a culture committed to making, and meeting, predictions despite uncertainty.

Rather than viewing estimation as a daunting task, personally cultivate a mindset that embraces it, and reinforce this across your team. All methodologies have tools for dealing with estimation, and whether your teams lean towards agility or follow a path with more upfront rigor, prioritize consistency and accuracy of forecasts.

Think of your team’s predictions as the interface you maintain within your organization — a published contract binding your commitments to those of your peers. Just as you wouldn’t tolerate erratic, or undocumented, changes in an API, ensure your predicted outcomes remain reliable, up-to-date, and communicated.

Mastering estimation is about more than just meeting deadlines; it’s about fostering trust and reliability within your organization. Your peers rely on your forecasts, and your company thrives when those expectations are met. Embrace estimation as a pathway to success, and realize early in your career that you are not alone in this task; your colleagues, your managers, and your company all heavily rely on prediction.