7 Things I Didn’t Expect
About Agile Content Development Meri Williams @Geek_Manager

I’m a published author, so
I expected content strategy and development to be HARD

But I didn’t expect content
strategy & development to be able to be AGILE

7 Things I Didn’t Expect:
#1 USER STORIES to be a great way to define needs and requirements for content too

(What’s a User Story?) As
a <type of user>, I want to <do something>, So that <some value is created>. (should fit on a post-it)

7 Things I Didn’t Expect:
#2 Creativity in the HOW to be quite so important. This was dumb. I KNOW creating good content is just as hard as writing good code.

In Agile… In Agile, you
focus on defining the WHAT and the WHY and leave the HOW to individuals to define as they deliver.

7 Things I Didn’t Expect:
#3 Requirements to change and evolve and not be completely definable upfront. Just like in software. *sigh*

In Agile… In Agile, you
accept and embrace ambiguity. All you really need to be 100% clear on is what is happening NOW. You tell the team what you did yesterday, what you’re going to do today & what’s blocking you.

7 Things I Didn’t Expect:
#4 Design + user research + architecture + content + analytics + development + operations to be quite so …

INSEPARABLE

7 Things I Didn’t Expect:
#5 ESTIMATING to be quite so hard. How long is a piece of string, exactly?

In Agile… You continually assess
how much you’re delivering and you get useful metrics from your burn charts and backlog. But it’s still damn hard.

7 Things I Didn’t Expect:
#6 The process of creating, editing, reviewing and accepting to fit well into Scrum and Kanban approaches. But in fact, it really worked. Especially Kanban.

In Agile… Kanban* is used
as a “pull” system – stories to be delivered are on the wall in columns (such as “Backlog”, “Ready”, “In Process”, “Done”) and individuals pull the next story when ready**. * Arguably its own methodology, but frequently found growing near Agile & Scrum ** Whereas in Scrum what will be achieved this “sprint” is agreed upfront

7 Things I Didn’t Expect:
#7 Mixed multi- disciplinary teams to be so freaking AWESOME.

Every role is capable of
virtuosity

In Agile… Agile helps create
an environment where each of your specialists can be truly amazing, and together achieve so much more. Close knit teams mean you understand & appreciate your peers’ skills in more detail.

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