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Technicalstandard
Engineering says a feature will take six months. How do you respond?
How to approach it
Get curious before reacting. Ask what drives the estimate, then look for a smaller version that delivers most of the value sooner.
How a strong answer opens
“My first move would be to thank the team and ask what drives the estimate. Then I'd look for a smaller version that delivers most of the value much sooner.”
Outline of a strong answer
Try answering out loud for a few minutes before you open this.
- Thank the team and ask for the breakdown of the estimate
- Find the biggest drivers: unknowns, dependencies, technical debt
- Revisit the problem: which part of the feature matters most to users
- Explore a smaller first release
- Agree on milestones and check-ins
- Share the trade-offs with stakeholders honestly
Where this question usually goes wrong
Pushing engineers to cut the estimate without understanding what drives it, which damages trust and rarely makes the work faster.
Learn the method
Working with engineers in Module 6, Technical for PMs.
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