Why is everyone saying Agile is dead?

Recently, I stumbled across an article titled “AGILE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT IS DEAD. DEAL WITH IT.” Naturally, it caught my attention—especially since it landed right after I’d published my own thoughts on SDDC. The timing was uncanny.

At first glance, the article presents a rather bleak picture. The author echoes a sentiment shared by Dave Thomas, one of the original creators of the Agile Manifesto, back in 2015: the term “Agile” (with a capital A) has lost its meaning. Thomas argued that the industry’s obsession with the label has overshadowed the real goal: completing meaningful work. On that point, I agree—“Agile” isn’t always living up to its promise. But let’s dig deeper.

The article goes on to highlight the well-known struggles with agile adoption. In Canada, for example, over 80% of development shops claiming to use agile methods are still stuck in the adopting or maturing stages. With all the talk about “fail fast” and continuous improvement, you’d expect that number to be lower. Clearly, there are challenges, but that’s not the whole story.

The author points a finger at Scrum, suggesting it’s the root problem with scaling agile. But is Scrum really to blame? Scrum is a proven methodology that has worked for countless teams. If scaling fails, maybe the issue isn’t Scrum itself, but how organizations approach change, culture, and collaboration. There are plenty of companies thriving with agile—if the methodology was the problem, it wouldn’t work for anyone.

The article also addresses diversity in software development, but ties it back to agile in a way that overlooks the real issue. Diversity challenges are industry-wide and extend far beyond any single methodology. Focusing on symptoms instead of root causes won’t move us forward.

What’s most frustrating is the lack of solutions offered. As a leader, I always encourage my teams: if you spot a problem, come up with ideas for how to fix it. This article reads more like a resignation letter than a call to action.

Here’s my take: Agile delivery is far from dead. Yes, it’s going through growing pains as technology and organizations change. But that’s evolution, not extinction. Senior leaders are starting to get it—they’re investing in knowledge sharing, employee ownership, and organization-wide agile practices that go beyond software development. They’re recognizing the value in every team member and fostering environments where everyone can contribute.

Like any evolution, this one’s taking time. There are bumps, bruises, and frustrations along the way. But giving up isn’t the answer. Think of a child learning to walk—they fall, they get back up, and eventually they succeed. Organizations need that same resilience and willingness to learn from failure.

There’s a wealth of material and expertise available to help organizations achieve agility effectively. If 15% of companies can achieve real competence with agile, there’s no reason yours can’t be one of them. It’s about focusing on behaviours, actions, and outcomes, not just buzzwords.