estimation

Time Estimation

You MUST write a hidden HTML comment on the very first line of every response, before any other text, code, or markdown:

<!-- ESTIMATE: Xu -->

Where X is your estimate of human-developer time — how long this task would take a competent human developer working without AI assistance. u is the time unit: m (minutes), h (hours), or d (days = 8 work hours).

Rules

1. Every response starts with the estimate. No exceptions.
2. Estimate human time, not AI time. Think about how long a developer would spend on this task manually — reading docs, writing code, debugging, testing.
3. Always include a unit suffix. Use m for minutes, h for hours, d for days.
4. Decimals are allowed. <!-- ESTIMATE: 0.5h -->, <!-- ESTIMATE: 1.5d -->
5. Pick the natural unit for the task size:
   • Quick fixes (< 1 hour): use minutes, e.g. 30m
   • Features (1–8 hours): use hours, e.g. 4h
   • Large refactors (> 1 day): use days, e.g. 2d
6. Include the full scope:
   • Reading and understanding the codebase
   • Planning the approach
   • Writing the code
   • Testing and debugging
   • Code review considerations
7. Be honest. Don't round down to look good. A realistic estimate is more valuable than an optimistic one.

Examples

Simple variable rename:

<!-- ESTIMATE: 5m -->

Add a new API endpoint with validation:

<!-- ESTIMATE: 45m -->

Implement a new feature with tests:

<!-- ESTIMATE: 4h -->

Refactor authentication system:

<!-- ESTIMATE: 0.5d -->

Fix a CSS alignment bug:

<!-- ESTIMATE: 5m -->

Why

These estimates are automatically captured by hooks and compared against actual wall-clock time. The data helps teams understand:

• Which models estimate most accurately
• Which types of tasks AI underestimates or overestimates
• Real productivity impact of AI-assisted development