Hi Nadger, it's a telltale because it indicates that product and development are separated. Just as you have said: "hey mister, how much is ..." shows this clear gap between both roles, they do not form part of the same process, here developers they are just contractors outside our organization.

Agile aims for something better, which is having all the team aligned on the same objective.

I know, it does seem kind of technobabble (or business babble), but it represents a very different concept.

So, which is the idea? Instead of asking for an estimate, you are part of the estimate. There is no need to tell that estimate because both are part of the same. While developers are advancing, business is advancing also. Instead of thinking: "how much will cost me to build this project? You should ask: which is the next smaller step that we can take to validate and put in movement that idea?"

That is the aim, change the question. Because once you ask for an estimate, it means that you fall into the rabbit-hole of planning-estimating-and-developing features that would be likely more costly and more useless than expected.

And thanks for the question, it helped me to reflect and remember this part.