Introduction to Agile

Introduction

This is the first article in a series of articles on Agile. In this series, we aim to provide an understanding of Agile, starting with the basics. This short article will help you quickly dive into what Agile is, its history, learn about the Agile Manifesto, its authors, practical goals, popular frameworks, and common misconceptions.

What is Agile?

Agile is a way of thinking and an approach that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and customer satisfaction. Agile originated in the software development industry but has spread to other fields over time. Agile emerged in response to the limitations of traditional project management methods, such as the Waterfall model, which were often too rigid to adapt to the dynamic nature of software development processes.

In the early 1990s, the Waterfall model dominated software development. However, its lack of flexibility led to a large number of failures and customer dissatisfaction. The rigid sequential phases of the Waterfall model—such as requirements development, design, implementation, verification, and maintenance—often failed to account for the fluid nature of software development projects. This dissatisfaction led to the development of “lightweight” methodologies such as Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), Adaptive Software Development (ASD), and several others. These methodologies emphasized iterative development, frequent delivery of results, and close collaboration with customers.

Agile Manifesto

In February 2001, 17 leading software development professionals gathered at the Snowbird Ski Resort in Snowbird, Utah to discuss common challenges and successful practices. This meeting led to the creation of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, a document that outlines a new approach to software development. The manifesto consists of four core values and twelve guiding principles that emphasize flexibility, collaboration, and customer satisfaction, as opposed to the then-dominant rigid processes and the practice of creating extensive documentation.

Agile Manifesto Values

The four core values are as follows:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

Agile Manifesto Principles

The twelve guiding principles are stated as follows:

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
10. Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential.
11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

Practical Purpose and Meaning of the Agile Manifesto Principles

The four core values of the Agile Manifesto represent an overarching philosophy, while the twelve principles serve as a practical guide to implementing Agile. These principles underlie all popular Agile methodologies and work together to provide an agile and efficient approach to software development:

• Principle 1 is dedicated to meeting customer needs through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. This ensures that the focus is on delivering value to the customer at every stage of development.
• Principle 2 focuses on welcoming change, even late in development. This approach reflects Agile’s emphasis on adaptability, allowing teams to respond flexibly to changing requirements and use change to create a competitive advantage.
• Principles 3 and 7 identify the importance of continuous delivery of software in short cycles called sprints. Frequent delivery of working software facilitates regular feedback and risk mitigation, which is a key indicator of success in Agile.
• Principle 4 emphasizes the value of customer involvement in the development process and provides inspiration for the role of the product owner in Agile teams. The product owner, usually the liaison between the customer and the team, works closely with the customer to ensure that the final product meets their needs.
• Principles 5 and 11 address the concept of self-organizing, motivated teams. This is a departure from traditional models where roles are often divided based on specialized skills. In Agile, teams are cross-functional, and team members often perform a variety of tasks, from coding to testing, which fosters a more collaborative environment.
• Principle 6 emphasizes the importance of face-to-face communication for effective communication within a team. This has led Agile teams to use user stories as a starting point for conversation rather than relying on extensive documentation. These user stories facilitate more direct and meaningful dialogue between team members.
• Principles 8, 9, and 10 introduce the idea of focusing on high-priority tasks and maintaining a steady pace of work. Agile uses tools such as the product backlog, where the product owner identifies customer priorities and the team works to translate them into actionable tasks for upcoming sprints. Continued focus on technical excellence and good design reinforces flexibility and long-term maintainability, while simplicity allows the team to minimize unnecessary work and focus on what really matters.
• Principle 12 speaks to the need for regular self-reflection and adaptation, which encourages Agile teams to conduct retrospectives, usually at the end of each sprint. During these sessions, teams evaluate their work and identify areas for improvement.

Authors of the Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto was created by 17 software development professionals, each of whom made unique contributions to the field:

1. Kent Beck: Creator of Extreme Programming (XP).
2. James Grenning: Co-creator of Test-Driven Development (TDD).
3. Robert C. Martin (Uncle Bob): Proponent of software craftsmanship.
4. Mike Beedle: Co-author of the first book on Scrum.
5. Jim Highsmith: Expert in adaptive software development.
6. Steve Mellor: Developer of structured methods.
7. Arie van Bennekum: Specialist in DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method).
8. Andrew Hunt: Co-author of “The Pragmatic Programmer”.
9. Ken Schwaber: Co-creator of Scrum.
10. Alistair Cockburn: Creator of the Crystal family of methodologies.
11. Ron Jeffries: Early practitioner of XP.
12. Jeff Sutherland: Co-creator of Scrum.
13. Ward Cunningham: Developer of the first wiki.
14. Martin Fowler: Chief scientist at ThoughtWorks.
15. Jon Kern: Software engineer and Agile coach.
16. Brian Marick: Software testing expert.
17. Dave Thomas: Co-author of “The Pragmatic Programmer”.

Popular Agile Frameworks

The Agile Manifesto was created by people who have contributed to the subsequent development of Agile, with some of them being authors of popular Agile frameworks:

• Scrum: Created by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. Scrum focuses on short, time-limited iterations called sprints, with roles such as product owner, Scrum master, and developers, and events such as daily meetings and sprint reviews.
• Extreme Programming (XP): The XP methodology was developed by Kent Beck. Extreme Programming emphasizes technical excellence and frequent releases and includes practices such as test-driven development (TDD) and pair programming.

We will look at these Agile frameworks and other popular approaches such as Kanban in more detail in future articles.

Common Misconceptions about Agile

Over time, many misconceptions have developed around Agile, with the following being the most common:

1. Agile means no planning: Agile involves constant planning and adapting to change.
2. Agile is only applicable to software development: Agile principles can be applied to a variety of industries and projects.
3. Agile teams don’t need documentation: Agile values working software over comprehensive documentation, but necessary documentation is still created.
4. Agile has no structure: Agile frameworks such as Scrum provide structure while allowing sufficient flexibility within that structure.

Learning and Practicing Agile

Gain knowledge and skills to understand and apply Agile practices in software development projects with our free tool Agile Coach Pro:

By utilizing Agile Coach Pro, you can enhance your understanding of Agile and apply these practices effectively in your professional endeavors.

Conclusion

Agile is not just an approach; it is a way of thinking that promotes collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement. By understanding its origins, values, and principles, you can effectively implement Agile practices to increase your project’s success and customer satisfaction.

Join us in upcoming articles where we will take an in-depth look at other aspects of Agile.