Is your Agile methodology really agile?

Longer-term product roadmaps, delivery date commitments, product planning, headcount planning, and forecasting are critical parts of software development. Sometimes they might not sound very Agile but are needed for the sound functioning of a mid/large scale product org.

The term “agile” refers to a general philosophy and set of principles for software development and project management, while “Agile” typically refers to a specific methodology known as “Scrum” which is one of the most widely used approaches within the agile framework.

Agile is a specific implementation of the broader agile philosophy. It is a lightweight and iterative approach to project management that focuses on flexibility, collaboration, and delivering incremental value to customers. Scrum, which falls under the Agile umbrella, is characterized by short development cycles called sprints, where the development team works in time-boxed iterations to deliver small, working increments of a product.

On the other hand, “agile” is a more generic term used to describe the overall mindset and principles that guide agile methodologies. It emphasizes adaptability, collaboration, self-organization, and responsiveness to change. Agile methodologies, besides Scrum, include other approaches like Kanban, Lean, Extreme Programming (XP), and more.

It is possible for a company to be agile without strictly adhering to a specific “Agile” methodology. Embracing the agile mindset, principles, and values is more…