Hypotheses on agility and software development.
What is the meaning of Agility?
“Agility is about staying successful in an ever-changing environment” – Jürgen Appelo, Management 3.0
Is Scrum Agile?
No. No process is agile, the team and especially the individuals who form the team are agile!
“Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.” - Agile Manifesto
Does Scrum prescribe what to do?
No. Each team member is an expert in his field of knowledge and knows what to do to make the team successful.
“Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.” – Agile Manifesto, 12 Principles
Then, what is the value of Scrum and other agile methodologies?
Scrum..
- provides a minimal structure and best practices to help the team being agile.
- provides a protected setting, in which the team can develop freely.
- demands working software at the end of each sprint, which is the primary goal of every software development project.
- prescribes the application of a Definition of Done to determine, when a job is done.
“Working software is the primary measure of progress” – Agile Manifesto, 12 Principles
Is Scrum sufficient to be successful?
No. It is not sufficient to just employ the best practices from scrum to stay successful over an extended period of time. You need technical excellence and must enforce quality standards to stay successful.
“Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility” – Agile Manifesto, 12 Principles
