This document discusses seven common "anti-patterns" that can undermine effective agile analysis when working with customers. The anti-patterns described include the Waiter Pattern of agreeing to anything without understanding requirements, the Windmill Pattern of providing unnecessary detail to avoid questions, the Dictator Pattern of deciding requirements without customer input, the Goldsmith Pattern of over-engineering "just in case", the Lawyer Pattern of assuming change means something was done wrong initially, the Professor Pattern of focusing on analyzing problems rather than providing solutions, and the Alien Pattern of using jargon that customers may not understand.

1. images courtesy www.sxc.hu
Agile Analysis Anti-Patterns
Tarang Baxi, Chirag Doshi and Dhaval Doshi
ThoughtWorks
with inputs from Vineet Shukla, Gunjan Shukla, Atul Pathak and Divyanshu Mohan

2. Customer ‘requirement’
“I want a cow”

3. Anti-Pattern #1
Waiter Pattern
Motto:
Of course sir, anything you
like and right away!

4. Anti-Pattern #2
Windmill Pattern
Motto:
More detail = fewer pesky
questions + everyone
impressed

5. Anti-Pattern #3
Dictator Pattern
Motto:
I know what the customer
wants, so just do as I say!

6. Anti-Pattern #4
Goldsmith Pattern
Motto:
Just in case...

7. Anti-Pattern #5
Lawyer Pattern
Motto:
Change is only needed if
you did a bad job to start
with

8. Anti-Pattern #6
Professor Pattern
Motto:
The client pays money for
solutions not analysis of
problems

9. Anti-Pattern #7
Alien Pattern
Motto:
Hey if I can understand
jargon, why won't the
customer?

10. ?