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A comment on Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much work we do?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much wo... by mring33621 on Thursday December 16, 2021 @02:52PM (#29582996)
I almost got fired once for explaining this to my boss. He felt very strongly that each day of a 10 day project should mark 10% in progress. I told him that instead, you think about it, explore a few ideas, then suddenly you might be at 80%. But it's not linear.
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Re:Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much wo... by daltont on Thursday December 16, 2021 @03:37PM (#29583556)
Similar concept:

If one was tasked to move a 10-ton block, 1000 yards in 10 days. You can use brute force move it 100 yards a day for 10 days or spend 5 days inventing a way to move it 1000 yards in day and get it done in 6 days.

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Re:Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much wo... by a9h74j on Thursday December 16, 2021 @08:46PM (#29586729)
You might also be familiar with the Abraham Lincoln quote: If I had four hours to chop down a tree I would spend three hours sharpening the ax.
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Re:Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much wo... by smaddox on Thursday December 16, 2021 @09:56PM (#29587135)
I had not, but that's a wonderful quote. Thanks for sharing
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Re:Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much wo... by 2-718-281-828 on Thursday December 16, 2021 @03:36PM (#29583538)
the ignorance of managment regarding non-linearity of developing something is one major reason for losing motivation. it causes much confusion and misunderstandings requiring justification. it gets tiresome after a while.
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Re:Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much wo... by godelski on Thursday December 16, 2021 @09:55PM (#29587128)
That just doesn't make sense because Pareto is a well known phenomena. To the point where it has entered the common lexicon (80/20 rule) and is essential for planning how long a project should take.
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Re:Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much wo... by hexxrer on Friday December 17, 2021 @09:49AM (#29592874)
It is the same way that Vilfredo Pareto is almost only known for the 80/20 rule.

One of the deepest thinkers ever about society and he is known for the most boring of his ideas.

Most things can be explained with this other idea of Pareto that humans are not rational but rationalizers.

Most human action/thought is kind of dumb and non-rational and then we invent rational explanations after the fact. Paint a varnish of rationality after the fact on non-rational behavior in Pareto's words.

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