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348 lines
12 KiB
348 lines
12 KiB
---
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description: when generating text that has project task work estimates
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alwaysApply: false
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---
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# No Time Estimates — Harbor Pilot Directive
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> **Agent role**: **DO NOT MAKE TIME ESTIMATES**. Instead, use phases, milestones, and complexity levels. Time estimates are consistently wrong and create unrealistic expectations.
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## 🎯 Purpose
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Development time estimates are consistently wrong and create unrealistic expectations. This rule ensures we focus on phases, milestones, and complexity rather than trying to predict specific timeframes.
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## 🚨 Critical Rule
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**DO NOT MAKE TIME ESTIMATES**
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- **Never provide specific time estimates** - they are always wrong
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- **Use phases and milestones** instead of days/weeks
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- **Focus on complexity and dependencies** rather than time
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- **Set expectations based on progress, not deadlines**
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## 📊 Planning Framework (Not Time Estimates)
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### **Complexity Categories**
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- **Simple**: Text changes, styling updates, minor bug fixes
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- **Medium**: New features, refactoring, component updates
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- **Complex**: Architecture changes, integrations, cross-platform work
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- **Unknown**: New technologies, APIs, or approaches
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### **Platform Complexity**
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- **Single platform**: Web-only or mobile-only changes
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- **Two platforms**: Web + mobile or web + desktop
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- **Three platforms**: Web + mobile + desktop
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- **Cross-platform consistency**: Ensuring behavior matches across all platforms
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### **Testing Complexity**
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- **Basic**: Unit tests for new functionality
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- **Comprehensive**: Integration tests, cross-platform testing
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- **User acceptance**: User testing, feedback integration
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## 🔍 Planning Process (No Time Estimates)
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### **Step 1: Break Down the Work**
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- Identify all subtasks and dependencies
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- Group related work into logical phases
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- Identify critical path and blockers
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### **Step 2: Define Phases and Milestones**
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- **Phase 1**: Foundation work (basic fixes, core functionality)
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- **Phase 2**: Enhancement work (new features, integrations)
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- **Phase 3**: Polish work (testing, user experience, edge cases)
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### **Step 3: Identify Dependencies**
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- **Technical dependencies**: What must be built first
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- **Platform dependencies**: What works on which platforms
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- **Testing dependencies**: What can be tested when
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### **Step 4: Set Progress Milestones**
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- **Milestone 1**: Basic functionality working
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- **Milestone 2**: All platforms supported
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- **Milestone 3**: Fully tested and polished
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## 📋 Planning Checklist (No Time Estimates)
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- [ ] Work broken down into logical phases
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- [ ] Dependencies identified and mapped
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- [ ] Milestones defined with clear criteria
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- [ ] Complexity levels assigned to each phase
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- [ ] Platform requirements identified
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- [ ] Testing strategy planned
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- [ ] Risk factors identified
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- [ ] Success criteria defined
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## 🎯 Example Planning (No Time Estimates)
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### **Example 1: Simple Feature**
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```
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Phase 1: Core implementation
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- Basic functionality
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- Single platform support
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- Unit tests
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Phase 2: Platform expansion
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- Multi-platform support
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- Integration tests
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Phase 3: Polish
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- User testing
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- Edge case handling
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```
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### **Example 2: Complex Cross-Platform Feature**
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```
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Phase 1: Foundation
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- Architecture design
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- Core service implementation
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- Basic web platform support
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Phase 2: Platform Integration
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- Mobile platform support
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- Desktop platform support
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- Cross-platform consistency
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Phase 3: Testing & Polish
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- Comprehensive testing
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- Error handling
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- User experience refinement
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```
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## 🚫 Anti-Patterns to Avoid
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- **"This should take X days"** - Red flag for time estimation
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- **"Just a few hours"** - Ignores complexity and testing
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- **"Similar to X"** - Without considering differences
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- **"Quick fix"** - Nothing is ever quick in software
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- **"No testing needed"** - Testing always takes effort
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## ✅ Best Practices
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### **When Planning:**
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1. **Break down everything** - no work is too small to plan
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2. **Consider all platforms** - web, mobile, desktop differences
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3. **Include testing strategy** - unit, integration, and user testing
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4. **Account for unknowns** - there are always surprises
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5. **Focus on dependencies** - what blocks what
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### **When Presenting Plans:**
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1. **Show the phases** - explain the logical progression
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2. **Highlight dependencies** - what could block progress
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3. **Define milestones** - clear success criteria
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4. **Identify risks** - what could go wrong
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5. **Suggest alternatives** - ways to reduce scope or complexity
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## 🔄 Continuous Improvement
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### **Track Progress**
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- Record planned vs. actual phases completed
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- Identify what took longer than expected
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- Learn from complexity misjudgments
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- Adjust planning process based on experience
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### **Learn from Experience**
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- **Underestimated complexity**: Increase complexity categories
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- **Missed dependencies**: Improve dependency mapping
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- **Platform surprises**: Better platform research upfront
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## 🎯 Integration with Harbor Pilot
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This rule works in conjunction with:
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- **Project Planning**: Focuses on phases and milestones
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- **Resource Allocation**: Based on complexity, not time
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- **Risk Management**: Identifies blockers and dependencies
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- **Stakeholder Communication**: Sets progress-based expectations
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## 📝 Version History
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### v2.0.0 (2025-08-21)
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- **Major Change**: Completely removed time estimation approach
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- **New Focus**: Phases, milestones, and complexity-based planning
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- **Eliminated**: All time multipliers, estimates, and calculations
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- **Added**: Dependency mapping and progress milestone framework
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### v1.0.0 (2025-08-21)
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- Initial creation based on user feedback about estimation accuracy
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- ~~Established realistic estimation multipliers and process~~
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- ~~Added comprehensive estimation checklist and examples~~
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- Integrated with Harbor Pilot planning and risk management
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---
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## 🚨 Remember
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|
|
|
**DO NOT MAKE TIME ESTIMATES. Use phases, milestones, and complexity instead. Focus on progress, not deadlines.**
|
|
|
|
## 🚨 Remember
|
|
|
|
**Your first estimate is wrong. Your second estimate is probably still wrong. Focus on progress, not deadlines.**
|
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# No Time Estimates — Harbor Pilot Directive
|
|
|
|
> **Agent role**: **DO NOT MAKE TIME ESTIMATES**. Instead, use phases, milestones, and complexity levels. Time estimates are consistently wrong and create unrealistic expectations.
|
|
|
|
## 🎯 Purpose
|
|
|
|
Development time estimates are consistently wrong and create unrealistic expectations. This rule ensures we focus on phases, milestones, and complexity rather than trying to predict specific timeframes.
|
|
|
|
## 🚨 Critical Rule
|
|
|
|
**DO NOT MAKE TIME ESTIMATES**
|
|
- **Never provide specific time estimates** - they are always wrong
|
|
- **Use phases and milestones** instead of days/weeks
|
|
- **Focus on complexity and dependencies** rather than time
|
|
- **Set expectations based on progress, not deadlines**
|
|
|
|
## 📊 Planning Framework (Not Time Estimates)
|
|
|
|
### **Complexity Categories**
|
|
- **Simple**: Text changes, styling updates, minor bug fixes
|
|
- **Medium**: New features, refactoring, component updates
|
|
- **Complex**: Architecture changes, integrations, cross-platform work
|
|
- **Unknown**: New technologies, APIs, or approaches
|
|
|
|
### **Platform Complexity**
|
|
- **Single platform**: Web-only or mobile-only changes
|
|
- **Two platforms**: Web + mobile or web + desktop
|
|
- **Three platforms**: Web + mobile + desktop
|
|
- **Cross-platform consistency**: Ensuring behavior matches across all platforms
|
|
|
|
### **Testing Complexity**
|
|
- **Basic**: Unit tests for new functionality
|
|
- **Comprehensive**: Integration tests, cross-platform testing
|
|
- **User acceptance**: User testing, feedback integration
|
|
|
|
## 🔍 Planning Process (No Time Estimates)
|
|
|
|
### **Step 1: Break Down the Work**
|
|
- Identify all subtasks and dependencies
|
|
- Group related work into logical phases
|
|
- Identify critical path and blockers
|
|
|
|
### **Step 2: Define Phases and Milestones**
|
|
- **Phase 1**: Foundation work (basic fixes, core functionality)
|
|
- **Phase 2**: Enhancement work (new features, integrations)
|
|
- **Phase 3**: Polish work (testing, user experience, edge cases)
|
|
|
|
### **Step 3: Identify Dependencies**
|
|
- **Technical dependencies**: What must be built first
|
|
- **Platform dependencies**: What works on which platforms
|
|
- **Testing dependencies**: What can be tested when
|
|
|
|
### **Step 4: Set Progress Milestones**
|
|
- **Milestone 1**: Basic functionality working
|
|
- **Milestone 2**: All platforms supported
|
|
- **Milestone 3**: Fully tested and polished
|
|
|
|
## 📋 Planning Checklist (No Time Estimates)
|
|
|
|
- [ ] Work broken down into logical phases
|
|
- [ ] Dependencies identified and mapped
|
|
- [ ] Milestones defined with clear criteria
|
|
- [ ] Complexity levels assigned to each phase
|
|
- [ ] Platform requirements identified
|
|
- [ ] Testing strategy planned
|
|
- [ ] Risk factors identified
|
|
- [ ] Success criteria defined
|
|
|
|
## 🎯 Example Planning (No Time Estimates)
|
|
|
|
### **Example 1: Simple Feature**
|
|
```
|
|
Phase 1: Core implementation
|
|
- Basic functionality
|
|
- Single platform support
|
|
- Unit tests
|
|
|
|
Phase 2: Platform expansion
|
|
- Multi-platform support
|
|
- Integration tests
|
|
|
|
Phase 3: Polish
|
|
- User testing
|
|
- Edge case handling
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### **Example 2: Complex Cross-Platform Feature**
|
|
```
|
|
Phase 1: Foundation
|
|
- Architecture design
|
|
- Core service implementation
|
|
- Basic web platform support
|
|
|
|
Phase 2: Platform Integration
|
|
- Mobile platform support
|
|
- Desktop platform support
|
|
- Cross-platform consistency
|
|
|
|
Phase 3: Testing & Polish
|
|
- Comprehensive testing
|
|
- Error handling
|
|
- User experience refinement
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## 🚫 Anti-Patterns to Avoid
|
|
|
|
- **"This should take X days"** - Red flag for time estimation
|
|
- **"Just a few hours"** - Ignores complexity and testing
|
|
- **"Similar to X"** - Without considering differences
|
|
- **"Quick fix"** - Nothing is ever quick in software
|
|
- **"No testing needed"** - Testing always takes effort
|
|
|
|
## ✅ Best Practices
|
|
|
|
### **When Planning:**
|
|
1. **Break down everything** - no work is too small to plan
|
|
2. **Consider all platforms** - web, mobile, desktop differences
|
|
3. **Include testing strategy** - unit, integration, and user testing
|
|
4. **Account for unknowns** - there are always surprises
|
|
5. **Focus on dependencies** - what blocks what
|
|
|
|
### **When Presenting Plans:**
|
|
1. **Show the phases** - explain the logical progression
|
|
2. **Highlight dependencies** - what could block progress
|
|
3. **Define milestones** - clear success criteria
|
|
4. **Identify risks** - what could go wrong
|
|
5. **Suggest alternatives** - ways to reduce scope or complexity
|
|
|
|
## 🔄 Continuous Improvement
|
|
|
|
### **Track Progress**
|
|
- Record planned vs. actual phases completed
|
|
- Identify what took longer than expected
|
|
- Learn from complexity misjudgments
|
|
- Adjust planning process based on experience
|
|
|
|
### **Learn from Experience**
|
|
- **Underestimated complexity**: Increase complexity categories
|
|
- **Missed dependencies**: Improve dependency mapping
|
|
- **Platform surprises**: Better platform research upfront
|
|
|
|
## 🎯 Integration with Harbor Pilot
|
|
|
|
This rule works in conjunction with:
|
|
- **Project Planning**: Focuses on phases and milestones
|
|
- **Resource Allocation**: Based on complexity, not time
|
|
- **Risk Management**: Identifies blockers and dependencies
|
|
- **Stakeholder Communication**: Sets progress-based expectations
|
|
|
|
## 📝 Version History
|
|
|
|
### v2.0.0 (2025-08-21)
|
|
- **Major Change**: Completely removed time estimation approach
|
|
- **New Focus**: Phases, milestones, and complexity-based planning
|
|
- **Eliminated**: All time multipliers, estimates, and calculations
|
|
- **Added**: Dependency mapping and progress milestone framework
|
|
|
|
### v1.0.0 (2025-08-21)
|
|
- Initial creation based on user feedback about estimation accuracy
|
|
- ~~Established realistic estimation multipliers and process~~
|
|
- ~~Added comprehensive estimation checklist and examples~~
|
|
- Integrated with Harbor Pilot planning and risk management
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## 🚨 Remember
|
|
|
|
**DO NOT MAKE TIME ESTIMATES. Use phases, milestones, and complexity instead. Focus on progress, not deadlines.**
|
|
|
|
## 🚨 Remember
|
|
|
|
**Your first estimate is wrong. Your second estimate is probably still wrong. Focus on progress, not deadlines.**
|
|
|