tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028009537158799436.post5862265311395700236..comments2023-07-10T04:50:03.236-07:00Comments on Building Real Software: Agile Estimating: Story Points and DecayJim Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371102366836131341noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028009537158799436.post-32615874027114308472012-06-05T16:51:13.110-07:002012-06-05T16:51:13.110-07:00I personally prefer Ideal Days over Story Points, ...I personally prefer Ideal Days over Story Points, and I agree completely that both can decay if they are left alone. One important point regarding this, in terms of process, is that the remaining estimates are supposed to be reviewed after each sprint, to see if everyone still agrees with them (or at least the estimates on what is going into the next sprint). The goal isn't to just review velocity, but to say "are these estimates still good". This is specifically because decay will occur, and estimates done earlier on are likely to have changed once more is known and understood.<br /><br />I'm still not sold that Story Points are "better", in part because (as you said) they don't necessarily translate outside of any particular group (which makes using them as historic guides in new estimates less valuable). I think people can wrap their head around the concept of an "ideal day", and while it could vary some from person to person, I'm not sure it will vary as much as Story Points can.<br /><br />In reality, both are somewhat arbitrary, so it's like arguing over two shades of blue, and which is "better". They're both blue, get over it. At least with an ideal day, I can explain the concept quickly, and lot of people will get it the first time. Having presented Story Points before, that one takes some explaining, and usually requires a lot more in terms of visual aids for people to get the joke (usually by explaining using objects in the room and some arbitrary dimension like volume).GeoffKnoreply@blogger.com