What’s Your Process for Estimating Tasks Accurately?

Hey everyone,

I heard Alex mention the idea of using 1.5x as a default multiplier—especially helpful for mid-level engineers. Thank you, Alex—that really got me thinking.

Despite trying to get better at it, I still find myself getting estimations wrong. For instance, I thought a recent task would take around 3–4 days, but a senior engineer estimated 1–2 weeks. That really surprised me and made me realise I was likely missing something important.

So I’m curious:

1. What’s your go-to approach when estimating tasks?

2. What do you think through before giving a number?

3. Any principles or experiences that have helped you get better at it?

I’ve checked some older threads—apologies if this feels like a repeat, but I believe this has a slightly different angle. Appreciate any thoughts you can share—thanks!