');

Agile 101

The purpose of Agile is not to be faster. It’s about being able to pivot

In the realm of software development methodologies, few concepts have garnered as much attention and debate as waterfall development. Often hailed for its structured approach, waterfall development entails a sequential progression through distinct phases, resembling the steady flow of a waterfall. However, behind its apparent simplicity lies a set of inherent challenges, including inflexibility, delayed feedback, and the notorious "multiple MVP problem." In contrast, Agile methodologies have emerged as a beacon of adaptability and collaboration, promising to revolutionize how teams approach software development. In this blog, we delve into the depths of waterfall development, exploring its intricacies, pitfalls, and the transformative solutions Agile brings to the table.

What is waterfall development?

Waterfall development is a traditional sequential approach to software development where the process flows steadily downwards through several distinct phases, much like a waterfall cascading down.

These phases include:

  1. Requirements: This phase involves gathering and documenting all the project requirements from stakeholders.
  2. Design: In this phase, the system architecture and software design are created based on the gathered requirements.
  3. Implementation: Developers translate the design documents into executable software.
  4. Testing: Once the implementation is complete, the software undergoes testing to ensure that it meets the specified requirements and functions correctly.
  5. Deployment: After successful testing, the software is deployed to the production environment and made available to end-users.
  6. Maintenance: The final phase involves ongoing maintenance and support of the software.

Each phase in the waterfall model must be completed before moving on to the next one, and there is typically little to no overlap between phases. The waterfall model assumes that requirements are well understood and unlikely to change significantly during the project, making it less suitable for dynamic or rapidly evolving environments.

The Multiple MVP Problem

In a negative context, waterfall development could inadvertently lead to the creation of multiple MVPs due to inefficiencies and failures within the process.

Here's how:

  1. Misinterpretation of Requirements: Waterfall's emphasis on gathering and documenting requirements upfront may lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations of what the final product should entail. This could result in delivering an MVP that doesn't fully meet user needs or expectations. As a consequence, teams may need to create additional MVPs to address the gaps or correct the initial misunderstandings.
  2. Late Feedback Incorporation: Waterfall's linear approach often delays stakeholder feedback until late in the development cycle, typically during testing or deployment. If stakeholders are dissatisfied with the product or if requirements change significantly, incorporating feedback at this stage can be challenging and costly. This may necessitate the creation of multiple MVPs as the project progresses to align with evolving stakeholder expectations.
  3. Over-Engineering: In an attempt to account for all possible scenarios and requirements upfront, teams might over-engineer the initial MVP, adding unnecessary features or complexity. This can result in longer development cycles and higher costs. If the MVP fails to resonate with users or if certain features prove to be unnecessary, teams may need to pivot and create a new MVP, wasting resources in the process.
  4. Inflexibility and Adaptability Issues: Waterfall's rigid structure makes it difficult to adapt to changing market conditions, technological advancements, or user feedback. If the initial MVP fails to gain traction in the market or if competitors introduce superior solutions, teams may find themselves needing to create multiple iterations of the MVP to remain competitive or address emerging needs.

Overall, in a negative scenario, waterfall development could inadvertently lead to the creation of multiple MVPs due to shortcomings in requirements gathering, late feedback incorporation, over-engineering, and inflexibility, resulting in wasted time, resources, and effort.

How Agile was promised to solve that problem

Agile methodologies aim to solve the problems associated with creating multiple MVPs by promoting iterative development, adaptability to change, continuous improvement, early and continuous stakeholder involvement, and reduced waste. Through iterative development cycles, teams deliver incremental improvements in short iterations, allowing for early and continuous feedback from stakeholders to ensure alignment with user needs.

Agile's adaptability enables teams to quickly respond to changing requirements and market conditions, reducing the likelihood of creating multiple MVPs due to misunderstandings or inefficiencies. Continuous improvement practices, such as retrospectives, help teams refine their processes over time, minimizing the risk of making the same mistakes and improving their ability to deliver high-quality products efficiently.

Additionally, active involvement of stakeholders throughout the development process ensures that the product remains aligned with their goals and priorities, reducing the need for extensive rework or multiple iterations. Overall, agile methodologies provide a framework for delivering value early and frequently, reducing waste and enabling teams to deliver successful products more efficiently.

Some misconceptions about Agile

Several misconceptions surround agile development, including:

  1. Lack of Planning: One common misconception is that agile means "no planning." In reality, agile emphasizes iterative planning and continuous adaptation. While agile methods do not require extensive upfront planning, they do involve ongoing planning sessions, such as sprint planning in Scrum, to define and prioritize work for each iteration.
  2. No Documentation: Another misconception is that agile teams do not document their work. While agile values working software over comprehensive documentation, it doesn't mean documentation is disregarded entirely. Agile teams often document key decisions, user stories, acceptance criteria, and other essential information to ensure clarity and maintain a shared understanding of the project.
  3. Unstructured or Chaotic: Some believe that agile teams work in an unstructured or chaotic manner. However, agile methodologies provide clear frameworks and practices to guide teams, such as Scrum, Kanban, or Extreme Programming (XP). These frameworks offer structure while allowing flexibility to adapt to changing requirements and feedback.
  4. No Time for Design or Architecture: There's a misconception that agile teams prioritize coding over design and architecture. While agile emphasizes delivering working software quickly, it does not neglect design and architecture. Agile teams often incorporate design and architectural discussions into their iterative processes, balancing the need for speed with the importance of creating maintainable, scalable solutions.
  5. Continuous Change: Some believe that agile means constant changes to requirements, leading to instability and inefficiency. While agile embraces change, it also emphasizes the importance of managing change effectively. Agile teams strive to maintain a stable backlog of prioritized work and carefully evaluate proposed changes to minimize disruption and ensure that each iteration delivers value.
  6. Only for Small Projects: There's a misconception that agile methodologies are only suitable for small projects or startups. While agile can be highly effective for small, cross-functional teams, it's also scalable and applicable to large, complex projects. Many enterprises adopt agile at scale, using frameworks like Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) or Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) to coordinate multiple teams and align with organizational objectives.

Addressing these misconceptions is crucial for understanding the true nature of agile development and its benefits in delivering value efficiently and effectively.

What is purist Agile, and is it completely necessary?

What is Purist Agile?

"Purist agile" refers to a strict adherence to the core principles and values outlined in the Agile Manifesto. The Agile Manifesto, created in 2001 by a group of software developers, emphasizes individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan.

While purist agile emphasizes the core principles and values of the Agile Manifesto, it's important to recognize that agile methodologies are not one-size-fits-all and may need to be tailored to suit the specific context and needs of each team or organization. Additionally, rigid adherence to purist agile principles without considering real-world constraints or practical considerations may limit a team's ability to effectively deliver value.

Strict adherence to agile principles is not always necessary or practical. While agile principles provide valuable guidance for teams seeking to deliver value more effectively, it's essential to recognize that every team and organization is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to agile.

Here are some reasons why strict adherence to agile principles may not be feasible or advisable in all situations:

  1. Contextual Differences: Teams operate in diverse contexts with varying project requirements, organizational cultures, and stakeholder dynamics. What works well for one team may not necessarily work for another. Therefore, teams may need to adapt agile principles to suit their specific context and needs.
  2. Organizational Constraints: Some organizations may have established processes, structures, or regulatory requirements that conflict with or limit the implementation of certain agile practices. In such cases, teams may need to strike a balance between agile principles and organizational constraints to achieve their goals.
  3. Maturity and Experience: Teams at different stages of agile adoption may have varying levels of maturity and experience with agile practices. Strict adherence to agile principles may be challenging for teams that are new to agile or still transitioning from traditional methods. In such cases, teams may gradually adopt agile principles over time as they gain experience and maturity.
  4. Pragmatism and Flexibility: Agile values pragmatism and flexibility, encouraging teams to prioritize delivering value over rigid adherence to a set of principles. Teams should focus on what works best for their unique situation and be willing to experiment, learn, and adapt their approach based on feedback and outcomes.
  5. Continuous Improvement: Agile emphasizes continuous improvement, meaning that teams should regularly reflect on their practices and outcomes and strive to enhance their effectiveness. This includes being open to adjusting agile practices to better align with team goals and stakeholder needs.

What Agile really does

At its core, Agile is designed to enable teams to deliver value to customers more effectively and efficiently in a rapidly changing world. Agile methodologies aim to achieve this by:

  1. Delivering Value Early and Continuously: Agile promotes iterative development cycles, allowing teams to deliver small increments of working software early and frequently. This enables stakeholders to see tangible progress and provide feedback, ensuring that the product meets their needs and expectations.
  2. Adapting to Change: Agile methodologies embrace change and uncertainty, recognizing that requirements and priorities may evolve over time. Instead of rigidly following a predefined plan, Agile encourages teams to be flexible and responsive to changing requirements, market conditions, and customer feedback.
  3. Enhancing Collaboration and Communication: Agile emphasizes collaboration and communication within and across teams, as well as with stakeholders. By fostering open dialogue and shared understanding, Agile helps teams align their efforts towards common goals and make informed decisions collaboratively.
  4. Empowering Teams: Agile methodologies empower teams to self-organize, make decisions, and take ownership of their work. By providing autonomy and responsibility, Agile encourages innovation, creativity, and a sense of ownership among team members.
  5. Improving Quality and Transparency: Agile promotes practices such as continuous integration, automated testing, and regular inspections to ensure high-quality deliverables. By focusing on quality throughout the development process, Agile helps teams mitigate risks, reduce defects, and build trust with stakeholders.
  6. Fostering Continuous Improvement: Agile fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where teams regularly reflect on their processes, practices, and outcomes to identify areas for enhancement. Through techniques like retrospectives and feedback loops, Agile encourages teams to adapt and refine their approach over time, striving for excellence and innovation.

Can Agile work for design teams?

Yes, Agile principles can be adapted and applied effectively to design teams, enabling them to deliver high-quality designs more efficiently and collaboratively. Here's how Agile can work for design teams:

  1. Iterative Design Process: Agile encourages iterative development cycles, and this approach can be applied to design as well. Design teams can work in short iterations, focusing on creating and refining design prototypes or concepts in response to user feedback and evolving requirements.
  2. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Agile promotes cross-functional collaboration, and design teams can work closely with other disciplines, such as development, product management, and marketing, to ensure alignment and integration of design efforts with the overall product vision and goals.
  3. User-Centric Approach: Agile emphasizes delivering value to users, and design teams can leverage user research, feedback, and usability testing to inform their design decisions and validate design solutions iteratively. By incorporating user feedback early and often, design teams can create designs that better meet user needs and expectations.
  4. Flexibility and Adaptability: Agile methodologies are designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing teams to respond to changing requirements and priorities. Design teams can use Agile principles to adapt their design process quickly in response to feedback, emerging trends, or new insights, ensuring that designs remain relevant and effective.
  5. Continuous Improvement: Agile fosters a culture of continuous improvement, and design teams can apply this principle to their design process by regularly reflecting on their work, gathering feedback, and identifying opportunities for enhancement. By embracing a mindset of continuous learning and improvement, design teams can refine their design process and deliver increasingly impactful designs over time.
  6. Visualization and Prototyping: Agile encourages visualization and prototyping as effective means of communication and validation. Design teams can leverage prototyping tools and techniques to create interactive prototypes, allowing stakeholders to visualize and interact with design concepts early in the development process, gather feedback, and make informed decisions iteratively.

Agile principles can be adapted and applied effectively to design teams, enabling them to work more collaboratively, iteratively, and user-centrically to deliver high-quality designs that meet user needs and drive business outcomes.

Overall, Agile is intended to provide a flexible and adaptive framework for delivering value to customers in a collaborative, transparent, and sustainable manner, ultimately enabling teams to thrive in an ever-changing environment.
Created with