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Comments on How to estimate time of completion while developing an electronic product?

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How to estimate time of completion while developing an electronic product?

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I don't know whether this question is on-topic or not but answering this helps a lot of future electronics entrepreneurs like me understand how the product design and development time estimation takes place.

Suppose a customer approaches me and gives a project with his specifications(let us say a DC-DC converter or a Home automation System etc.). Now how should I estimate the design time, development time, test/debugging time and give him a report that by this time approximately I can handover the project?

As far as I know there are two types of products-

  1. The product which is already present in the market and customer comes to me for price optimization or some different specifications.
  2. A complete new project never been in the market.

So time varies for each one above, how to estimate time and what are all the factors to consider?

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+2
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I'm actually an algorithmic engineer, not an electronic engineer. But your question is extremely general, and valid for every field of engineering. Also, it obviously depends upon the human and technical resources available to you. So, it cannot be answered at this level.

Nevertheless, according to my point of view that every question can be answered, it has only to be answered at the same level of generality as it has been asked, that is, the highest level.

Obviously, you have to detail each task separately to manage your project, and to arrange them in a list. Then you have to evaluate each task according to your human and technical resources, knowledge etc. That's as simple as that apparently, but that's also all the difficulty.

Now comes the secret, I mean my secret to do that, and believe it or not, it works incredibly well.

Rule 1: When you evaluate the time to allow for a task, do that as well and as carefully as you can. So far so good. Let t be the time allowed for this task.

Rule 2: Then ask yourself if you have already done some similar task, or if you have never done something similar. If you have already done something similar, multiply t by a factor between 1 and 2, according to the similarity of the task. But if you have never done something similar, multiply t by a factor of 5. Yes, you have correctly read, five time what you have evaluated. That's my secret.

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General comments (4 comments)
General comments
coquelicot‭ wrote about 4 years ago

Who has downvoted this answer? I usually don't ask this question, but it's so incredible to be downvoted for an answer to a question of this level of generality, and that is a matter of experience, that I cannot prevent myself. In addition my answer is much similar to that of Olin that has got 2 points. In fact, it could be argued that it is even better. What Olin said is impossible for a new entrepreneur: you have to take markets and get experience, whether or not you know about the subject.

Olin Lathrop‭ wrote about 4 years ago

I don't think it's worthy of a downvote, so have an upvote from me.

Adam Lawrence‭ wrote about 4 years ago

Me too. It is a good answer.

coquelicot‭ wrote about 4 years ago · edited about 4 years ago

Thank you, that helps!