The Art of Agile Development: Why Agile?

The second edition is now available! The Art of Agile Development has been completely revised and updated with all new material. Visit the Second Edition page for more information, or buy it on Amazon.

in 99 words

Agile development is popular, but that's no reason to use it. The real question: will agile development make your team more successful?

Success is usually defined as delivering on time, under budget, and as specified. That's a flawed definition. Many late projects are huge successes for their organizations, and many on-time projects don't deliver any value. Instead, think in terms of organizational, technical, and personal success.

Agile development is no silver bullet, but it is useful. Organizationally, agile delivers value and reduces costs; technically, it highlights excellence and minimal bugs; personally, many find it their preferred way to work.

as haiku

"Should we be agile?"
"Try these leeks," Sensei replies;
"We picked them today."

Behind the Scenes

Why Not?

Poster

'Aspects of Success' poster

Download this poster!

Inside the Book

  • Why Agile?
  • Understanding Success
  • Beyond Deadlines
  • The Importance of Organizational Success
  • Enter Agility
    • Organizational Success
    • Technical Success
    • Personal Success

Full Text

This chapter isn't online, but you can buy the book.

If you liked this entry, check out my best writing and presentations, and consider subscribing to updates by email or RSS.