But it’s still just a guess, right?

I present the chart summarizing the numbers for the pitch – hours by milestone and associated costs, to design and produce a large digital media project.

Boss says with a slight sense of unease, “where did these numbers come from…what’s our back-up?”

I whip out sheet #2 – a breakdown of hours by department / function for each of the milestones. I explain that many of the numbers were discussed with relevant team members. I also state that I checked historicals of similar projects, but most of the examples were aberational in some way so there was no absolute direct comparison, but…

“But it’s still just a guess, right?” she interupts with a manifest glimmer of panic.

“Yes,” I say. “What else is an estimate supposed to be?”