Sandbagging

Noun · Slang & Abbreviations

Definitions

  1. Deliberately understating capability or overstating difficulty, usually to create advantage or reduce expectations. In engineering slang, accusations of sandbagging often appear around estimates, benchmarks, and roadmap negotiation.

    In plain English: Intentionally lowering expectations or understating capability for advantage.

    Example: "The PM worried the team was sandbagging on the estimate, but the engineers pointed to the migration unknowns that made the caution look more honest than strategic."

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