Icebergs and Estimates

One of the challenges in planning anything is knowing what is involved and how long each step will take.  We like to believe that a good plan is best practice, but in reality, any plan is based on assumptions and perspective; “that is not a big iceberg” or “this will take a week”.  Sticking to a plan is sheer madness. Constant analysis and updating of the plan is considered best practice in software and business.

The ultimate question though is not just one of creating and maintaining a perfect plan. It the ability to understand when the original goals of the plan are no longer valid have shifted.