I know this question may sound eschatological. Still, it was with these terms that a series of articles recently caught the attention of the Agile community for the mistakes made in the past two decades.
In a recent interview on The Brazilian BA Guest, Fabricio Laguna hosted Scott Ambler, a well-known figure in the Agile community and creator of the Agile Modeling (AM) and Agile Data (AD) methods. Ambler discussed the challenges facing Agile today, the mistakes that have been made, and the path forward for the community. This interview provides a deep dive into the current state of Agile and offers valuable insights for practitioners and organizations alike.
The Rise and Challenges of Agile
Agile methodologies transformed how organizations approach software development, emphasizing flexibility, collaboration, and customer satisfaction. However, according to Ambler, the Agile community is currently facing significant challenges. Over the past few years, many professionals associated with Agile, such as Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches, have faced job losses due to unmet expectations and overhyped promises that were not fulfilled.
Ambler points out that the initial promises of Agile—like doubling productivity or delivering projects in half the time—were often unrealistic. Such claims led to a credibility loss as organizations failed to see these dramatic improvements, especially when Agile methods were not implemented properly or were misrepresented as quick fixes.
Mistakes in Agile Adoption
Scott exposes what he sees as mistakes made by the Agile Community:
1. Too much agile certification, not enough education
2. Too much framework adoption, not enough improvement
3. Too much fluff, not enough stuff
4. Too much purity, not enough agility
5. Too many fads, not enough grounding
Those are detailed in a specific article on LinkedIn (link at the end).
How Agilists Can Move Forward After Shatting the Bed
In a second article (link at the end), Scott makes a list of observations about the long hard road that this community must take to come back from that mess:
- It is time to consider a career change
- You must add real value
- Coaches must help organizations learn to improve
- Some agilists may become enterprise designers
- Agile isn’t dead… yet
In a nutshell
Scott Ambler’s insights offer a candid look at the state of Agile today. While acknowledging the mistakes and missteps that have led to the current challenges, he also provides a hopeful vision for the future. By focusing on core Agile principles and promoting higher professional standards, the Agile community should be able to navigate through these tough times and emerge stronger.
For those interested in more of Scott Ambler’s thoughts, his articles can be found on LinkedIn, where he discusses these topics in more depth.
References
- 1st article: The Agile Community Shat The Bed
- 2nd article: How Agilists Can Move Forward After Shatting the Bed
- Scott Ambler on LinkedIn
- Other articles and videos about Agile here at The Brazilian BA
