It would seem that Agile isn’t the foolproof silver bullet that we said it would be! Oh, wait. We never said that. Let me re-phrase this a bit. Ahem. Ok, so not all groups doing agile succeed in delivering software. And not all folks trained in two days of Scrum are magically anointed with wisdom and a Midas touch. The anger against “agile” is palpable in many discussion groups and blogs. What should we do? Go back to Waterfall? Train people for four days? Well, I think it is time we do a re-set, and (re)educate folks on what agile is all about. If you are dogmatically following along with a handful of agile practices, but don’t really “get” the intentions behind the agile mindset, you may (will?) be disappointed in your results. I’ve always said “agile is hard to do well” and I’m sticking to it! Let’s re-commit to the core principles and practices. Let’s do Agile like we mean it. (Originally presented at JavaSymposium in March 2011)

1. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Agile Schmagile
Does Agile Stink, or is it Just Me?
Jon Kern
QUESTIONS!
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 1

2. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Are You Agile?
Peak Performance
 Do you work on a high-
performing team?
 How can you be sure?
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 2

3. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Abysmal Performance
 Have you been disappointed by Agile?
 What practice has failed you/your team?
Grade From Your Stakeholders/Clients?
✔
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 3

4. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Grade From Yourself?
✔
✔
✔
✔
Agile Stinks! Or Does it?
 No escaping that Agile can be a BAD word
 100,000+ CSMs could be a good thing, or not
 How can we tell what we should be doing?
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 4

5. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
(RE-)CONNECT WITH AGILE!
Recipe For Agile Success
Killer App Software Product
Ingredients:"
1."
2."
3.
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 5

6. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Recipe For Agile Success
Killer App Software Product
Ingredients:"
1. PEOPLE!"
"
2."
3.
Recipe For Agile Success
Killer App Software Product
Ingredients:"
1. PEOPLE!"
2. Process"
3. Tools
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 6

7. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Being Able to Reason is Key
 Educate yourself about the agile practices
 Learn about successful project teams
 Engage in observation
– Cause and Effect
 Reason about what
you do as a team
 Reflect & Adapt
The Manifesto Reveals Truths
 Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
 Working software over comprehensive documentation
 Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
 Responding to change over following a plan
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 7

8. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Agile Practices Demand Holism
 Consider the project to be a system
 Synergies of Practices
 Holistic Approaches
Agile is Simple
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 8

9. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
And Yet… AGILE IS HARD!
WORLD
UPSIDE
DOWN
LET’S
TURN
THE
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 9

10. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
The Anti-Agile Manifesto
We are uncovering better ways to provide the illusion of developing software
by listening to others talk about watching people try. Through this (dare I
call it?) work, we have come to value:
Dogmatic process and CASE-tool-like automation
over inspiring quality individuals to interact with the team and the clients
Sufficient up-front comprehensive design specifications
over seeing frequent, tangible, working results.
Writing detailed Statements of Work and negotiating changes
over collaborating to do our collective best with the time and money at hand
Driving toward the original project plan
over accommodating the client changing their mind, or a
path turning into a dead end
So “What’s It Gonna Be?”
 Agile Manifesto?
 Bizarro Manifesto?
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 10

11. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
HOW DO WE START?
IT STARTS WITH YOU!
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 11

12. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Change is Hard
 Especially because it starts with you!
I need
We only work on training
COMPLEX We’re stuck with
projects legacy code
The QA Dept
Agile is does all of our
a Fad testing
Tight Deadlines
TDD takes too
much time
We’ve never Management
done it that way doesn’t care
We need full
before about quality
requirements up
front
Be… a Craftsman
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 12

13. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Be… a Professional
Be… Impatient
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 13

14. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Be… Balanced
 Treat software holistically, as a closed-loop system
Be… Lazy
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 14

15. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Be… Inquisitive
Be… Bold
 Question with BOLDNESS
 Ask Why?
 Why?
 Why?
 Why?
 Why?
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 15

16. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Don’t: Just Do It!
 Understand why you are doing it
 Observe, reflect, adapt
You Don’t Do Agile, You Are Agile
 Agile is first and foremost a personal PRACTICE!
 As is ballet, yoga, rock climbing…
 Never a master, always a student
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 16

17. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Agile Has Failed Us?
 Not so much!
 Return to the founding principles
 Be Agile, don’t blindly just DO Agile!
 Apply common sense
 Agile problems? First look inward…
 The Agile Mindset has no agenda, no certificate
Agile Can’t Change the World
 But…
 You can be more agile
 Your team can be more agile
 Your group can be more agile
 Your company can be more…
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 17

18. http://technicaldebt.com 13 March 2011
Agile Can’t Change the World
 But…
 You can be more agile
 Your team can be more agile
 Your group can be more agile
 Your company can be more…
 Maybe agile CAN impact the world after all!
Agile Schmagile
Does Agile Stink, or is it Just Me?
Jon Kern
jkern@lightshipinc.com
jkern@axialexchange.com
http://TechnicalDebt.com
THANK YOU!
http://twitter.com/JonKernPA 18