Agile is as Agile does

Agile is a term thrown around in software development. It’s a beast with many heads. I’ve been running or involved in agile projects for nearly a decade.

There’s as many flavors of it as there are letters attached to the names of the professionals leading such programs. I’ve had a few of them myself.

At it’s heart is a concept that software is complicated, so we should focus on short bursts to learn, tweak, and improve.

The concept is a good one. But every day teams hoping to be agile run up against invisible forces questioning their existence.

I’m not opposed to agile, but I do question how often it can be done well.

The best solution to building good software is to have a great team, understand the strategic direction they need to point, and give autonomy within limits.