Development Estimation Skill
Systematic estimation with confidence intervals and risk assessment.
Quick Start
# Time estimate with breakdown
/sc:estimate "auth system" --type time --unit days --breakdown
# Complexity assessment
/sc:estimate "microservices migration" --type complexity
# Effort analysis
/sc:estimate "performance optimization" --type effort --unit hoursBehavioral Flow
- Analyze - Examine scope, complexity, and dependencies
- Calculate - Apply estimation methodology with benchmarks
- Validate - Cross-reference with domain expertise
- Present - Provide breakdown with confidence intervals
- Track - Document for accuracy improvement
Flags
| Flag | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
--type | string | time | time, effort, complexity |
--unit | string | days | hours, days, weeks |
--breakdown | bool | false | Show detailed breakdown |
Personas Activated
- architect - Design complexity assessment
- performance - Optimization effort analysis
- project-manager - Timeline and resource planning
MCP Integration
- PAL MCP - Multi-perspective estimate validation
Evidence Requirements
This skill does NOT require hard evidence. Deliverables are:
- Estimates with confidence intervals
- Risk factor identification
- Breakdown documentation
Estimation Types
Time (--type time)
- Calendar duration estimates
- Milestone planning
- Deadline assessment
Effort (--type effort)
- Person-hours/days required
- Resource allocation guidance
- Team capacity planning
Complexity (--type complexity)
- Technical complexity scoring
- Risk factor identification
- Dependency mapping
Confidence Levels
Estimates include confidence intervals:
- High (85-95%) - Well-understood scope
- Medium (70-84%) - Some unknowns
- Low (50-69%) - Significant uncertainty
Examples
Feature Estimation
/sc:estimate "user authentication" --type time --unit days --breakdown
# Breakdown: DB design (2d) + API (3d) + UI (2d) + Tests (1d)
# Total: 8 days @ 85% confidenceComplexity Assessment
/sc:estimate "monolith to microservices" --type complexity --breakdown
# Architecture complexity with risk factors
# Dependency mapping and migration phasesEffort Analysis
/sc:estimate "API performance optimization" --type effort --unit hours
# Profiling (4h) + Analysis (6h) + Implementation (16h) + Testing (8h)
# Total: 34 hours @ 75% confidenceTool Coordination
- Read/Grep/Glob - Codebase complexity analysis
- TodoWrite - Estimation breakdown tracking
- Task - Multi-domain estimation delegation
- Bash - Dependency and project analysis