Calculate initial estimate from estimates on child Features

What is the challenge?

Initial estimate for large capabilities (Epics) does not calculate based on estimates of child Features

What is the impact?

• Confusion by engineering on the level of confidence expected for roadmap-level estimates

• Manually adjusting every Feature to not calculate estimate based on its child stories (which does not make sense for initial estimates)

Describe your idea

Similar to how the Detailed Estimate field on Epics can be calculated using the estimates of its child Features, the Initial Estimate field on Epics should have option to calculate based on child estimates.

For context, my organization uses both Epics (formerly Master Features) and Features. Epics tend to be large capabilities that are challenging to estimate with any confidence.

Instead, we estimate at the Feature level and have that rolled up to the overall estimate for the Epic/Capability.

These are truly "initial" / t-shirt estimates. However, because of this limitation we must use the Detailed Estimate field. This creates confusion for engineering teams on expectation and challenges with Aha because the detailed estimate field defaults to "calculate from stories."