"I expect honest estimates" by UncleBob Martin (with subtitles!)

I think you may be focusing on the wrong thing. Estimates are notoriously squishy in programming, and by going hard on this, you're actually taking maybe more risk than you realize. Think about all of the legitimate reasons over your entire career that you've seen something seemingly easy blow out the expected timeline. It happens all the time. All these guys need is one example of this in the next month to point at and say you're being ridiculous, and now you're stuck arguing that's an exceptional case while they argue this example you gave in your post is the exception. Chances are things will not go perfectly and you will have to deal with the real world. You care less about estimate…

I disagree with the notion that it would be impossible to improve that situation due to peer pressure at work. If there is a reason that software developers agree to for example impossible deadlines, lack of QA/testing etc. then it's imo just the developer himself who is not yet mature enough to stand up for what he thinks is necessary to deliver a working product/service. Uncle Bob said it well, programmers didn't choose that field because they were incredibly good at handling conflicts with other people. But they have to learn it. And we have a choice whether we want to talk every good idea down with cynicism and self-loathing or whether we become more assertive. I despise the first op…