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

The 2nd agile principle talks to us about change. Not just change but also competition. I specifically like the way change and competition are connected. From the 1st principle we know that our highest priority is to satisfy our customers. And how do we understand customers better? And how does change on their end translate to us ? What should we be ready for?

Customers operate in a certain market and that market has certain characteristics just like us. Let us take two of that characteristics. One is that they have competition and second is that these markets do change. 

Competition is tackled by how someone can create a competitive advantage over their competitors. Meaning if all other factors remain same how do you differentiate in a way that you have an advantage over your competition. Your ability to respond to change is a great way for you to gain that competitive advantage. 

When markets change the players have to adapt accordingly and the question is who adapts faster, efficiently and effectively. For example if they are using your product to make their business decisions or run their business in any way it means their requirements for your solution will also change. Because by serving your customer, you are in turn serving their market and their customers. They change you should also respond to that change. Simple !! In a way that translates to your competitive edge in your market.

Change has always been tough. Our build process have always been very rigid in a waterfall method. And that was fine if change is not that common because we don't need to release that often. But that is not the case now. If you look back say 40 years you can find that changes that happened in several years happen in matter of months. This makes Waterfall method very difficult to adapt in current times, especially in a changing market. And now the key is about Releasing on Demand. We will get to this area in another principle.

We live in the VUCA world which means Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. It is practically impossible to know everything at the start. You can plan and predict but the key is to be able to adapt when change comes.

Being Agile means you are able to welcome changes even later in development. This means your design and your development process needs the flexibility to accommodate the same. You need to keep options open. Building something knowing that requirements could change and we are ready for it is what Agile is all about.

To Do this Week: Like in every Newsletter let us look at what we can do to learn from this principle. There are a few areas that you can delve into. One is change which we already are in, you could try to look at how your response has been. You can try to see how this change has impacted the customer and what actions they take for a competitive advantage would translate as changing requirements for you. Have a great week ahead !!

Video This Week: This time the newsletter is quite late. I should start calling this Monthly instead of Weekly. The result is I have had several videos that I created during this time. Will just share one of it, which is on a concept called Sprint Positive. Similar to the Scrum Positive concept that I had posted a while back. That was about Scrum Framework and this one is about Sprints. The question is Are You Sprint Positive? Check it out !!

Podcast This Week: Podcast has been slow but the good thing is I did an episode on the concept of Scrum Positive and how I came up with that idea in a bit detail. Solo Rant again. Sorry about that. But in this Episode I am sharing with you some of my experiences and how I see the Scrum Life..

Book This Week: I am currently reading the Book 'Loonshots by Safe Bahcall' where he talks How to nurture the crazy ideas that win wars, cure diseases and transform industries. Interesting one. I have just started. But my reading habit is I dabble between books as most of my reading is not in one sitting but here and there when I get time daily.

Penpositive has a new look... Yes and I moved it to be on a course platform so I can use that for all the online courses I create and so take a look at it and do share your suggestions and comments. And also do reach me if you have any coaching and consulting needs. That is if you need an extra agile hand in your agile journey, someone who loves to coach Scrum :) Message me her or Email me [email protected]