You’re starting a career in Agile Methodologies. What are the most important things to learn?

1 Agile mindset

The first thing to learn is the agile mindset, which is the foundation of any agile methodology. The agile mindset is based on four values and twelve principles, which you can find in the Agile Manifesto. The agile mindset emphasizes customer satisfaction, working software, collaboration, responsiveness, and continuous improvement. To adopt the agile mindset, you need to be open to change, feedback, experimentation, and learning. You also need to respect and trust your team members, customers, and stakeholders.

2 Agile frameworks

The next thing to learn is the agile frameworks, which are the specific methods and processes that implement the agile principles. There are many agile frameworks, such as Scrum, Kanban, XP, SAFe, and LeSS. Each framework has its own roles, ceremonies, artifacts, and rules. You don't need to learn all the frameworks, but you should be familiar with the most common ones, especially Scrum and Kanban, which are widely used in the industry. You should also be able to compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of different frameworks, and choose the best one for your context and goals.

3 Agile tools

The third thing to learn is the agile tools, which are the software applications and platforms that support the agile workflows and practices. Agile tools can help you manage your projects, tasks, teams, communication, documentation, testing, deployment, and feedback. Some examples of agile tools are Jira, Trello, Slack, Confluence, GitHub, Jenkins, and UserTesting. You should be able to use the agile tools that your team or organization prefers, and integrate them with other tools as needed. You should also be aware of the best practices and tips for using agile tools effectively and efficiently.

4 Agile skills

The fourth thing to learn is the agile skills, which are the technical and soft skills that enable you to perform well in agile teams and projects. Agile skills include coding, testing, design, architecture, devops, security, and performance. They also include communication, collaboration, facilitation, leadership, coaching, problem-solving, and creativity. You should be able to demonstrate your agile skills in various situations, such as planning, estimation, review, retrospective, demo, and feedback. You should also be able to learn new skills and improve your existing skills through practice and feedback.

5 Agile culture

The fifth thing to learn is the agile culture, which is the set of values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors that shape the agile environment and community. Agile culture is influenced by the agile mindset, frameworks, tools, and skills, but it also depends on the organizational culture, vision, mission, and strategy. Agile culture can be characterized by transparency, accountability, empowerment, collaboration, innovation, and customer focus. To fit in the agile culture, you need to align your actions and attitudes with the agile values and principles, and contribute to the agile community through sharing, learning, and mentoring.

6 Agile trends

The sixth thing to learn is the agile trends, which are the emerging and evolving topics and practices that affect the agile domain and industry. Agile trends can be related to technology, business, customer, or social aspects. They can also be influenced by external factors, such as market, competition, regulation, or crisis. Some examples of agile trends are agile at scale, agile in the cloud, agile analytics, agile AI, and agile remote work. You should be aware of the agile trends that are relevant to your field and interest, and keep yourself updated and informed about the latest developments and opportunities.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?