[mason55]

> because the people asking for the estimates don't actually know what the goals are

And this is the real problem. People who know how to build & design products should be able to explain the goals of what they're asking for. If they don't then either you need to move or you need to get them moved.

One of the first things I tell new engineering managers is that an easy hack to is to always be asking yourself "what am I trying to accomplish?" Whether it's an emotional conversation or writing a document, if you can't answer that question then you probably shouldn't be moving forward with whatever you're about to do. And if you're writing a document, make the very first section "The goal of this document is..." because as you write you can constantly ask yourself "is what I'm writing accomplishing my stated goal?"

Communicating your goal also helps your team - if they know the goal then they don't act as automatons following directions, they can make actual decisions on their own.

If you know the business goal of what you're building then you have a better shot at getting the requirements and tasks correct, which gives you a better shot at giving a good estimate. I've worked with a number of product managers who had no real goal behind what they were asking for. I refuse to have the team start building things until someone can explain why we're doing it and what we're trying to achieve.