[Core] How do you know when a project plan is realistic versus just optimistic?

Instruction: Answer this as a judgment question about how you tell whether a plan is solid or just socially attractive.

Context: Assesses whether the candidate can distinguish healthy confidence from weak planning.

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A realistic plan usually has visible assumptions, clear dependencies, real ownership, and some acknowledgment of where uncertainty still lives. An optimistic plan often looks clean on paper, but the dates depend on everything going right, the risk conversation is too thin, and the decisions underneath the work are still too soft.

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