Agile software development is not what it is intended to be

Agile software delivery is a way to help teams work together and get down to business in creating something that is of value to their clients (internally and/or externally). It is now where it is off the intent as to what the creators meant it to be. The Youtube video Agile is dead gives you that indication.

Author: Alesia Krush

WHAT HAPPENED TO AGILE

Robert C. Martin, one of the people who charted the original Agile Manifesto in 2001, has a lot to say on this topic.

When talking about the history and the future of Agile, he pointed out that Agile – the way it was initially envisioned by Kent Beck and other creators – has long been hijacked by an army of certified Scrum masters and business people who do not understand how software is made (much like a city kid does not understand how a potato becomes chips).

[Agile] certification turned into this “siren song,” and it attracted, frankly, all the wrong people. Agile was developed by technical people. It was a creation of the software industry – PROGRAMMERS sat in that room and created the Agile Manifesto and the Agile principles. And then came certification. And with certification, hordes and hordes of project managers started to get certified. And they would sit for two days in a class, and get a piece of paper, and feel that it was somehow significant. And they, literally, took over the Agile movement … The Agile movement shifted dramatically towards the project management side.

So according to Robert C. Martin, Agile was originally created for programmers by programmers. But it has now gotten off track. There is now a counter-movement that emerged after the split (when the original idea of Agile got tainted by thoughtless management). This counter-movement is Software Craftsmanship, and it has its Manifesto, too.

Apparently, it tries to go back to the original promise of Agile, which was, according to Kent Beck, to heal the divide between business and programming. It also strives to fix what Agile broke – namely, it urges developers to deliver not only “working software,” but also “well-crafted software.”

Visit Why software developers (quite honestly) hate Agile

As with any idea, there are some, where individuals will take it and manipulate it to what they want to see. As a result. Most of the time, it is a lack of knowledge on how it to work or outright negligence of following the guidance it provides. The full value is there, and it is within reach for organizations. Through training, collaboration and knowledge management, these values can be achieved.