Agile in Name Only: How to Unveil Counterfeit Agile Companies/Projects

In today's business landscape, every company, especially those in software development, claims to be Agile. This abundance of 'Agile' assertions offers clients numerous options, but it begs the question: are these companies truly Agile? Do they genuinely embrace Agile principles and values, or do they merely pay lip service to the term? In this article, we'll explore how to differentiate between 'Agile in name only' organizations and those that authentically embody Agile, helping you make the right choice for your needs.

Let's begin by quickly defining 'Agile.' In software development, Agile is a project management methodology based on continuous improvement. However, claiming to be Agile solely based on a commitment to improvement is too broad. Therefore, we'll base our exploration on 'The Agile Manifesto,' which outlines 12 principles and 4 values..

According to the 'Agile Manifesto,' we have the following 12 principles and 4 values:

Values

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation.
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
4. Responding to change over following a plan.

Principles

1. Customer satisfaction through early and continuous software delivery.
2. Accommodate changing requirements throughout the development process.
3. Frequent delivery of working software.
4. Collaboration between the business stakeholders and developers throughout the project.
5. Support, trust, and motivate the people involved.
6. Prefer face-to-face communication over other methods.
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.
8. Agile processes to support a consistent development pace.
9. Attention to technical detail and design enhances agility.
10. Simplicity.
11. Promote self-organization in the team.
12. Regular reflections on how to become more effective.

3 key questions

With Agile's definition, principles, and values in mind, let me give you 3 key questions that have helped me identify 'Agile in name only' companies:

1. What makes you agile?
2. How do you gather and respond to feedback and adapt to industry changes and evolving processes?
3. What metrics do you use to measure progress and success in your Agile adoption or implementation process?

By asking these 3 questions you can identify fake Agile practices by evaluating the specificity and relevance of the answers. Good responses will detail specific Agile practices, show a clear process for gathering and acting on feedback from various sources, and use meaningful metrics that reflect Agile values. In contrast, bad responses will be vague, lack a structured feedback mechanism, and rely on vanity metrics, revealing a superficial or misguided adoption of Agile.

Let me give you an example using the last question:

"What metrics do you use to measure progress and success in your Agile process?"

• What to Look For: Metrics that reflect Agile values such as velocity, cycle time, customer satisfaction, quality measures (defect rates), and team performance. These metrics should emphasize value delivery and continuous improvement.
• Good Answer: Specific, relevant metrics and an explanation of how they are used to drive improvements (e.g., "We track velocity, cycle time, and customer satisfaction scores to ensure we are delivering value and continuously improving.").
• Bad Answer: Over-reliance on vanity metrics that don’t measure true progress or value (e.g., "We measure the number of lines of code written," or "We only track the number of features delivered without considering their impact.").

When seeking an Agile partner, be cautious of ambiguous responses. This can be the difference between a successful partnership and wasted time and money.

In a world where Agile is a buzzword, distinguishing between genuine and superficial Agile practices is crucial. By asking this questions, you can uncover a company's true commitment to Agile values. Choosing the right Agile partner is crucial for project success. Use the insights from this article to avoid 'fake Agile' companies and prioritize those committed to continuous improvement and collaboration.