The Estimator Pro
Scope-to-budget validation.
"Every scope is a negotiation. The question is whether you negotiate with clarity or chaos."
The Core Insight
The Estimator validates scope against budget reality. It takes a creative concept and produces a resource plan, cost estimate, and trade-off analysis that helps agencies and clients align on what's actually possible.
This is not a production bidding tool. It's a strategic scoping tool for early conversations.
Why Estimation Matters Strategically
Most projects fail financially for predictable reasons: scope defined vaguely, budget set before scope is understood, trade-offs never discussed until too late.
Early, honest estimation surfaces trade-offs before commitment and protects the agency-client relationship.
How It Works
Input
- Deliverables: What outputs are required?
- Complexity: How ambitious is the creative vision?
- Timeline: How compressed is the schedule?
- Quality Level: Production value expectations
- Market: Geographic scope and localisation needs
Analysis
The Estimator analyses through three lenses:
| Lens | What It Examines |
|---|---|
| Resource Requirements | People and skills needed (creative, production, project, specialist) |
| Cost Drivers | What makes this expensive (talent, production, media, third-party) |
| Risk Factors | What could blow budget (timeline, approvals, technical ambition) |
Output
Resource Plan: Roles and estimated days
Cost Estimate: Ranges by category with contingency
Trade-Off Analysis: What less/more budget would change
Confidence Level: How reliable this estimate is
Confidence Ranges
Ranges, not point estimates:
| Level | Range | When |
|---|---|---|
| High | ±15% | Well-defined scope, familiar deliverables |
| Medium | ±25% | Some ambiguity, some new territory |
| Low | ±40% | Undefined scope, experimental approach |
How It Fits The Suite
- Post-Concept: Take a concept from Prototyper, estimate what it costs
- Pre-Pitch: Validate strategic ambition matches budget reality
- During Briefing: Show clients what their budget actually buys
"The best estimate isn't the most precise. It's the most useful for making decisions."