The document discusses the principles and practices of Agile software development, emphasizing customer engagement, incremental delivery, and the importance of feedback loops. It highlights the pitfalls of speculation in project management and advocates for real-time visibility into progress rather than measuring effort. Agile teams are encouraged to deliver releasable software frequently while adapting to changing business needs.

1. Agile: Get Real
Elisabeth Hendrickson
Quality Tree Software, Inc.
www.qualitytree.com
esh@qualitytree.com
Last updated March 18, 2010
Copyright © 2010 Quality Tree Software, Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
View a copy of this license.

2. Speculation and Reality
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Stuff we Stuff we
believe that is don’t believe
not true. Stuff we that is true, or
believe that that we’re
actually is ignorant
true. about.

3. Speculation
Time
Speculation Buildup
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4. A Project Story: BringLight
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5. Themes
Customer
Engagement
Incremental
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Delivery
Feedback
Loops
Status
X Visibility

6. In Speculation Land…
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7. …or in Denial
I REJECT YOUR
REALITY AND
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SUBSTITUTE
MY OWN!
Adam Savage

8. Lessons from Schrödinger:
The Probability Wave Form WILL Collapse
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And then we will find out if the cat…
er…project lived or died.

9. Speculation about Usage Scenarios
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10. Customer Engagement
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11. Speculation about How Well It Will Work
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12. Incremental, Small Slices
Big Bang
Analyze Design Implement Test/Fix
Release
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Less Speculation Buildup

13. Multiple Feedback Loops
User/Beta Testing
Exploratory Testing
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System Regression
CI Build
Secs- 5-15 15-90 Few Few
Local Unit Tests Mins Mins Mins Hrs Days

14. Speculation about Progress & Productivity
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15. Status Meeting Ceremonies
Where are Where are
Started 80% Done
we? we?
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Where are Where are
80% Done 80% Done
we? we?

16. Measuring Effort not Progress
Where are 40/160 Where are 120/160
we? hrs we? hrs
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Where are 200/160 Where are N*40/160
we? hrs we? hrs

17. Don’t Confuse Speed with Progress
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18. Agile Status Visibility
Build Status
(CI system)
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Story Status
Demo/Delivery

19. Eliminate Speculation Buildup
Agile practices
collapse the
probability
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waves, thereby
Speculation
reducing risk.
Time

20. Real Agile, Real Results
Agile software teams…
…Deliver value in the form of
releasable software at frequent
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regular intervals (at least
monthly)…
…At a sustainable pace…
…While adapting to the changing
needs of the business.