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 important than following a particular framework. Organizations can adopt agile practices, such as iterative development, continuous feedback, cross-functional collaboration, and customer-centricity, without explicitly implementing a prescribed methodology like Scrum.

Conversely, it is possible for a company to claim they are following a specific “Agile” methodology like Scrum but not fully embody the agile principles. They may merely adopt the ceremonies and artifacts without truly embracing the values of adaptability, transparency, self-organization, and continuous improvement. In such cases, the organization might be “Agile” in name but not truly embody the agile philosophy.

principles behind the agile manifesto

How we plan at PCTY —

It all starts from the vision of the company that helped us create a north start which has a clearly identified metric that we will attain in…