I'm reading about Shape Up. The agile methodology of Basecamp.
They have a unique way of thinking about estimates. They call it Appetite.
A stakeholder is asking for an estimation for an idea. The first thing you do is make a design to do the estimation.
An Appetite flips this concept. The stakeholder gives the time budget for an idea.
This means we don't need to create a design beforehand. We do this when we implement the idea.
Because we have a time budget, we have a creative constraint on the design process. This is true agile: "Fixed time, variable scope".
The only reason the stakeholder wants an estimate is to decide if the time is worth spending on the idea.
By setting the time up-front, the stakeholder is giving a clear sign of what the idea is worth to him.
Appetites: Interesting concept!