Deal & Slide

Deal and Slide

What are "Relative Estimates"

Step by step guide

Step 1: Concentrate the ideas

Get your bunch of stories or requisites (the stickies) and look at them very well

Step 2: Level 1 T-Shirt sizing

Dispose the stickies in 3 different buckets, Small Medium and Large, and estimate their position based on the size, and ask yourself the questions: "Is this Story in M the same size or smaller than this other story". We want to give rough Relative estimates

Step 3: Level 2 T-Shirt sizing

Make a new set of buckets for each column, so to obtain a situation like in figure Again estimate the buckets relatively, and if something seems too large for the main container, just move it in medium. Repeat for medium and large, and keep in mind that when overflowing from large, probably you have a sticker with an alternative name of the project

Step 4: Estimation

We start estimating the first column (Small -Small) with 2 Story Points: we put 2 and not one because it is extremely likely that we are going to find tasks or stories smaller than those there; 2 makes most sense.

Then you estimate the second column, putting the question: "Is this 50%ish more or the double of the previous?" If it is 50%, you put the next Fibonacci number (3), else you skip a Fibonacci number(5)

At 21 Story point we stop "putting or skipping" and start putting 100(sp)-200(sp)-300(sp): the rationale is that the level of uncertainty of the sticker is way too high.