The 12 Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto

The Agile manifesto is a set of guiding values and principles for Agile software development. It consists of four values and twelve principles. These principles are designed to help teams work together more effectively and efficiently while building quality software.

Before diving into the manifesto, a few concepts help us understand what it represents!

The Cornerstones of Agile Development: The Agile Manifesto Values

The Agile Manifesto values are the foundation of an Agile development process, providing a framework for effective team building, collaboration, and product delivery.

Agile methodology strongly emphasizes fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and shared responsibility among team members. It also prioritizes continuous learning, experimentation, and improvement.

The values of Agile methodology are as follows:

Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools: This value prioritizes people's importance and interactions over rigid processes and tools.

Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation: Agile methodology values delivering working software over extensive documentation.

Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiation: Agile methodology emphasizes customer collaboration more than contract negotiation.

Responding to Change by Following a Plan: This value acknowledges that change is inevitable and that Agile methodology is flexible enough to adapt to change while still following a plan.

The 12 Agile principles provide the core values that drive Agile software development. These principles emphasize customer satisfaction through frequent delivery of valuable software, embracing changing requirements, teamwork and collaboration, efficient communication, motivated individuals, and continuous improvement. 

By following these principles, teams can ensure that they deliver high-quality products while fostering positive relationships with customers and stakeholders. 

Adopting the Agile mindset means valuing working software over comprehensive documentation, promoting technical excellence, embracing simplicity, and continually reflecting on improving.

Agile 12 principles: 

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through the early and continuous delivery of valuable software.

2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.

3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference for a shorter timescale.

4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to do the job.

6. A face-to-face conversation is the most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team.

7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.

8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.

9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.

10. Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential.

11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

12. The team regularly reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

In conclusion, the Agile Manifesto values form the core principles of Agile development, promoting a culture of trust, transparency, continuous learning, and customer collaboration.

 These values ensure the highest quality of software products and services and provide a framework for effective team building and cooperation. Are you taking this advice? 

Have you used it before or already?