How can you demonstrate your experience with agile development in an interview?

Knowing the Principles of Agile is not enough to ace questions on Agile development. It's necessary to speak to the interviewer as though they've never heard of the Principle before. Therefore, putting context to each answer without overly elongating things is key. For example, Agile approach encourages real time communication rather than a long list of documentation. Contextualise this with a scenario you've experienced in the past and you will be fine.

One can demonstrate their knowledge by practical examples, explaining agile principle and methodologies. Some ways are: 1. Describe the Agile frameworks (Scrum or Kanban, etc) used in projects and how you contributed to the project using Agile practices. 2. Explain the Agile tools you are familiar with or have used in your projects like Jira or Trello and how you utilised these tools to facilitate Agile processes. 3. Discuss your understanding of Agile principles and the importance of iterative processes to enhance team performance and project outcomes.

I don't want an explanation of something everyone has read, quoted, and misinterpreted to their benefit. Show how you've applied these principles. Demonstrate you can empathize with a customer. Share how you've applied a creative solution to test and learn. Your goal is to convince someone you've done this and can share your perspective from your experience, not that you've read about it. Anyone can explain the agile principles but anyone who has done it will likely leave the explaining to someone else.

Understanding the bedrock of agile—its principles and values—is paramount in navigating the landscape of product management Explaining principle and its application to product management signifies a commitment to agility and responsiveness, steering teams toward delivering value amidst ever-evolving market demands. Understanding these principles is not just about knowing—they're guiding lights in navigating the agile journey.

To depict the real case example to showcase how a vision got delivered in reality 1. Vision to mission breakdown 2. Mission to milestone 3. Milestone to initiatives 4. Iterative delivery of value

Sharing stories that incorporate agile principles has worked best for me. This means embodying putting the customer first, frequent delivery, and self-organization. I might say: We self-organized to solve a customer problem around social play. We frequently delivered updates over 6 weeks. These started with new social gameplay. They ended with new social incentives. In the end, our sustainable pace helped us crush the metrics as an empowered team. The result was an 11% increase in social play and 4% increase in revenue. It was such a win many of us were promoted. Such an answer hits the principles in a cool story.

In my past roles, I've actively applied agile methodologies like Scrum, fostering a collaborative environment within cross-functional teams. I played a key role in organizing and leading agile ceremonies, ensuring effective sprint planning and retrospectives. Through these practices, I've witnessed tangible outcomes, such as enhanced team efficiency and accelerated product delivery. Embracing change and prioritizing continuous improvement has been a constant focus, reflecting my commitment to agile development principles.

A common question I have been asked in the interviews if there was a solution where you and the development team had different opinions. How did you navigate the situation and come up to the conclusion.

An agile mindset involves adapting to problems quickly, teamwork and collaboration, flexibility, and a customer-centric approach. There are other principles of Agile, but I would like to go over these with an example. In 2010, a snowstorm disrupted the shipping and operations of the online shoe and clothing company Zappos. They could not deliver a single shoe in poor weather. What did they do in return? They converted their head office into a distribution centre and shipped shoes out of their head office, starting with those in severe need. They adapted quickly and were flexible enough to execute the idea. However, it was only possible with a team committed to the organisation's core principles.

Asking Agile Questions in an Interview: - Inquire About Agile Culture: Ask how the company embodies agile values in its daily operations. ?? - Team's Agile Process: Question about the specific agile methodologies the team follows and the tools they use. ??? - Product Vision and Roadmap: Show interest in understanding the product's current roadmap and future vision. ??? - Customer-Centric Queries: Ask about the company's approach to understanding and meeting customer needs. ?? - Identify Challenges: Seek information on current challenges and opportunities for improvement within the team or product. ?? - Role Expectations: Clarify what the company expects from the role in terms of contributing to an agile environment. ??

These questions can be asked 1- How do you implement agile concepts for a traditional team? Where is the starting point? 2- How does the agile approach help increase trust in the team and how do you measure the level of trust in the team?

During interviews, highlighting agile experience extends beyond theory; it's about showcasing practical application. Narrate instances where agile principles fueled innovation and problem-solving. For instance, discuss how embracing change empowered a pivot in strategy, benefiting both product and users. Additionally, spotlight your agile mindset, emphasizing adaptability and a hunger for continuous improvement

In 2023 going into 2024, Agile can be such an overused and often misinterpreted style of management and execution. I think for any PO or Scrum Master, it’s critical to not allow some of Agile’s arbitrary structures to get in the way of making the best decision for your product and users. Some folks become too adherent to Agile and allow that to prevent urgent work or pivots in functionality from being picked up mid-sprint.