What is Agile?

Key takeaways of what is agile?

• Agile means being able to move or adapt to changes very easily. It means to be more flexible and adaptive. 
• Agile is all about the mindset and philosophy and core values. 
• Agile methodology is about how you use frameworks like agile in projects. 
• There are 12 set principles of agile and 4 core values – mentioned in the Agile Manifesto
• Agile contradicts the traditional waterfall methodology. Which is very rigid and fixed. 
• Some common agile frameworks include scrum, Kanban, lean and more.

What is agile?

The concept of agile was introduced in Feb 2001 at a ski resort in Utah, written in the Agile Manifesto. This document was written by 17 software developers in order to create some lighter alternative to rigid planning. But what does “agile” mean?

Agile means having the ability to adapt to changes quickly, with a flexible mindset. Agile is an iterative work approach focused on giving small outputs.

In this blog, we will go through everything you need to know about agile in project management.

If you are already familiar with the term and meaning and are preparing for your agile interview. We recommend reading our comprehensive blog on – Agile interview questions.

What is agile methodology?

Agile and agile methodology are quite closely related, but they are not the same. Agile is all about having –

• A flexible mindset
• Philosophy
• Agile Manifesto principles and values

In agile you require human collaboration, responding to change, and delivering working value incrementally. 

Agile methodology/frameworks refers to the practical and structured ways you apply the “agile” mindset in your projects. 

What are the 4 values of agile?

The agile document – Agile Manifesto, has mentioned 4 values that promote agility. These agile values are curated to prioritize people and adaptability.

The four values are as follows – 

It is important to note the word “over.” It doesn’t mean that the processes, documentations, contracts, or plans have no place in agile. It means that when there is any sort of conflict. Agile tends to give greater importance to the top ones.

We have understood the 4 core values of agile. Now, let’s understand what are the 12 agile principles.

What are the 12 principles of agile?

There are 12 set principles of agile, which are a set of guidelines from the agile manifesto. The four agile values explain what agile teams value. While the 12 principles explain how those values can guide your work. 

Here are the 12 agile principles –

Now we are clear with the 4 core values and 12 agile principles. But how does agile really work? The next section explains how agile actually works during fast-paced projects.

How does agile work?

Agile doesn’t work like the traditional waterfall method. Instead of completing the entire project before getting the results reviewed. The team runs regular checks on the progress of the project. Later, the team decides what the next appropriate action would be.

These are the steps that the agile process generally follows:

1. Define the goal

First off, before getting started with any project, the team needs to identify the goal of the project. It can be improving an app, a better interface, anything! But it should be defined and conveyed to the team clearly, to avoid any confusion.

2. Prioritize requirements

Make sure to arrange all the requirements based on the level of importance, urgency, and value. Complete to requirements based on the prioritization.

3. Break work into increments

Once the work has been assigned to the individual or team, it cannot be done in one go. The project work has to be divided into small, iterative pieces and broken into manageable pieces of work. This helps in correcting any mishaps early on, rather than after project completion.

4. Develop and deliver

Once the priorities and work are developed and assigned. The team has to work on a selected set of priorities and deliver the completed increment.

5. Review the outcome

After the work is completed and delivered. The team has to go through the delivered work and review it. While reviewing the work, all the weak areas to improve should be highlighted and worked on.

6. Gather feedback

After the submission, the stakeholders and customers provide feedback on the work completed. Note the changes that are needed to make. Sometimes it could also be a change in the project goal or objective.

7. Adapt the next increment

In the next increment after the feedback, adapt to the feedback and changes mentioned. Here the team uses the feedback and new information to adjust upcoming work.

8. Repeat the cycle

After all these 7 steps, the process continues until all the project objectives are achieved. You need to repeat the same cycle.

What is the difference between the agile model and the waterfall model?

While understanding agile, it is equally important to understand what made agile come into existence in the project management world. Waterfall project management. Let’s understand that difference between the two. 

The main difference is how the two approaches handle planning and change.

Both project management approaches are right in their own way. The agile model is appropriate for projects that have changing requirements, e.g., marketing projects. 

While the waterfall model is best for projects that need to be planned and followed as per the plan. Construction projects: here the project manager cannot afford to have changes mid-project. Everything needs to be pre-planned and followed exactly as per the plan.

What is agile software development?

Agile is a major part of software development. Agile software development is an approach to build software in smaller and manageable parts. Making it open to feedback and changes while it’s being completed.

The characteristics of agile software development

Agile software development typically involves:

Incremental development

Here the work is split into short, fixed-length cycles, also known as sprints or iterations. Which typically lasts about 1 to 4 weeks. Where the project is delivered into small working pieces on a frequent basis.

Frequent feedback

Frequent feedback is a core feature of agile software development. It is about what drives continuous improvement. As it ensures the product matches users’ expectations, rather than just completing the development.

Continuous testing

In agile software development, continuous testing is prioritized at every stage. Instead of reviewing things at the final stage. The testing starts as soon as the very first line of code is written.

Adaptability

Adaptability is the soul of agile. The team should be able to adjust to plans, scopes, and requirements rapidly. Regardless of the condition, it can be based on continuous feedback or changing market conditions. 

Continuous improvement

Teams are required to hold regular retrospectives to reflect on the workflows. Look into ways to improve the product and process over time. 

What are agile and scrum?

Although agile and scrum are usually paired together. They aren’t the same. Agile is an approach based on values and principles. Scrum is a framework for putting some of those principles into practice.

Agile vs Scrum

Agile gives the teams a way to think about – planning, collaboration. delivery and change.

Scrum provides a more defined structure for how the team carries out its work.

What are the scrum roles?

Here the scrum roles are explained through our infographic:

What are scrum events?

Scrum includes five formal events:

What are scrum artifacts?

Scrum has three artifacts; those are explained below:

What are the common agile frameworks?

Agile provides you with the core values and principles. But it doesn’t tell you how to exactly do the work. Different agile frameworks and approaches provide different ways of working.

Here are some commonly used agile frameworks in projects.

Scrum

Scrum is a framework that organizes work into fixed sprints. Here the teams have to plan out the work for each sprint. After that the team reviews the outcome and improves on the next sprint. Scrum also defines specific –

• Accountabilities
• Events
• Artifacts

That helps teams to manage work well.

Kanban

Kanban focuses on the continuous flow of work. Where teams visualize the work on a kanban board. It is an excellent way to track progress in a limited amount of time. This helps the teams to identify challenges and fix them.

Extreme programming (XP)

Extreme Programming/XP is an agile approach created primarily for software development. It places strong emphasis on –

• Technical practices
• Software quality
• Frequent releases
• Close customer involvement

Practices such as pair programming, test-driven development, and continuous integration are commonly associated with XP.

Lean

Lean’s major focus is to deliver customer value while reducing waste. Lean encourages teams to identify activities that do add value to the desired outcome. And find ways to improve the workflow. Lean principles are used beyond software development as well.

These approaches are not necessarily competing choices. Teams sometimes combine practices from different frameworks based on their needs and the nature of their work.

What are the benefits of agile?

Agile helps teams manage uncertainty without losing focus on delivery. By working in smaller increments and reviewing progress regularly, teams can identify issues earlier and respond to changes more effectively.

Some of the key benefits of Agile include:

Faster feedback

Teams receive feedback throughout the project instead of waiting until the end. This helps them identify whether the work is meeting expectations and make changes sooner.

Earlier value delivery

Agile teams deliver usable work in smaller increments. Customers and stakeholders can therefore receive value before the entire project is completed.

Greater adaptability

Agile prompts the ability to adapt. As the requirements and priorities can change as the project starts to progress. Agile allows teams to adjust plans based on new information and changing needs.

Better collaboration

Agile also encourages regular collaboration with internal and external team members. This helps everyone maintain a clear understanding of the priorities.

Greater visibility

Smaller increments make it easier to see what has been completed and what still needs attention. Regular reviews also give stakeholders a clearer view of project progress.

Continuous improvement

Agile teams regularly reflect on their work and look for ways to improve. These improvements can apply to both the product and the way the team works.

Overall, Agile helps teams deliver value while learning and adapting throughout the project.

What are the challenges faced in agile?

Agile offers flexibility, but that flexibility also comes along with some challenges. The challenges are as follows –

Changing priorities

Agile allows priorities to change as new information becomes available. However, frequent changes without proper prioritization can disrupt the team’s focus and affect delivery.

Stakeholder involvement

Agile relies on regular stakeholder feedback. If stakeholders are unavailable or provide feedback too late, the team may struggle to make timely decisions.

Team coordination

Agile requires teams to communicate and work closely together. Poor coordination can lead to misunderstandings, delays, and duplicated work.

Need for discipline and planning

Agile is flexible, but it is not unstructured!

Teams still need to have clear goals, priorities, timelines, and regular reviews. Without proper planning and discipline, flexibility can quickly become confusion.

Common misconceptions about agile

Agile is misunderstood because people associate it with a few “popular practices.” Just because a team works in sprints, conducts daily meetings, or uses a Kanban board – does not mean that the team is agile.

Below we have listed some of the most common misconceptions about agile – 

Agile means no planning!

Agile does not eliminate or discard the planning part at all. Teams still need to set goals and prioritize requirements and decide what needs to be delivered. Planning continues as the project develops. 

Agile means constant change

Agile welcomes change when it adds value. This does not mean teams should change direction constantly. Changes still need to be assessed, prioritized, and managed.

Agile means scrum

Scrum is one framework used to apply agile principles. Agile is broader than Scrum and can also be practiced through frameworks such as Kanban and XP.

Agile is only for software

Agile became popular through software development, but its principles are not limited to software. Teams in product development, marketing, operations, and other areas also use Agile approaches.

FAQs regarding agile

Here are a few commonly asked questions regarding agile project management. 

1. What is a common misconception about agile and DevOps?

Both agile and DevOps are the same things – this a common misconception people have. Agile is focused on managing development and adapting to change. While DevOps extends the focus across development and operations.

2. How do agile and DevOps complement each other?

Agile and DevOps complement each other by creating a continuous workflow. It starts off with development to delivery and operations. This keeps the teams in sync and responds to feedback.

3. What is agile project management?

Agile project management is an approach to managing projects through smaller cycles of planning, delivery, and review.

4. What is the role of a project team?

The role of a project is to have involvement in planning and decision making. The team members are responsible for collaborating with the team. The project team also has to decide how the work should be completed and delivered. Rather than relying solely on the project manager’s instructions.

5. What is adaptive planning in agile?

Adaptive planning means keeping the project plan flexible. Even after new information becomes available, flexibility should be maintained.

• Progress
• Feedback
• Risks
• Changing requirements.

This does not mean planning is abandoned. It means the plan evolves with the project.