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> “Estimate for X is 5 hours”. Does this estimate only source code change, or full release process with installation to production?

Also is that 50 % chance done in 5 hours, or 90 % chance, or a virtual guarantee? Makes a huge difference to planning yet nobody specifies it.

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I wanted to say that this "obviously" means "5 hours median" i.e. 50%, but I just realised my managers and clients would almost always understand this as "I swear on everything I hold dear this will take 5 hours and not a single minute more" (which is why I avoid sharing my estimates publicly). Funny how it works. Great observation, thanks.

These are all questions that managers (in my org) are typically expected to ask. They aren't one-offs, but are critical information to share information between people.

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