January 1998 One of the great unsolved problems in software development is the task of estmating time required for a software project. ... Rather than focusing on causes, or theoretical approaches, I herein offer a practical guide to improving time estimates for the worst-case scenario, the dreaded Five Minute Task . ... deal with the compile-time errors you failed to anticipate: . ... install software: . ... deal with installed software changes crashing all systems at random intervals: . ... test: . ...