What Happened to Agile after all?

The year comes to its end, and I ask myself what the authors of the Agile Manifesto would say about the development of their movement.

Nearly 23 years ago, 17 individuals dared to challenge conventional wisdom and advocate for a set of values and principles that prioritized collaboration, flexibility and tangible results. They crafted a manifesto that was more than just words on paper; it was a rallying cry for a new way of working — one that aimed to cut through bureaucracy and foster a collaborative approach to developing software.

Fast forward to today, the landscape painted by the original Agile Manifesto seems almost unrecognizable. The movement they birthed has morphed into a sprawling industry, adorned with certifications, scaled frameworks and a lot of buzzwords that threaten to drown out the essence of agile itself.

I can't help but wonder if they'd be scratching their heads at the irony of a movement founded on simplicity being entangled in a web of complexity.

It seems like agile back in the days was a breath of fresh air. Customer collaboration, individuals over processes, responsiveness to change — what's not to love?

For a while, it looked to work like magic. Companies embraced it, flaunted it, and agile became the secret sauce behind the success stories of many companies and industries.

But success has a dark side, as the agile buzzword train picked up speed, turning what was once a revolutionary approach into a potential cliché. Every person under the sun insists they're agile — job applicants declare it and organizations plaster it on their websites as if it's the golden ticket to credibility.

Here's the real kicker: it has become this mandatory quality stamp that you better wave around if you want a seat at the cool kids' table. Let's face it, just saying you're agile doesn't cut it. We're knee-deep in a swamp of agile proclamations and it's time to cut through the fog.

When you see an organization claiming their agile capabilities on their website, don't just nod along. Take a closer look, dissect it. What do they really mean by 'agile'? Are they living and breathing the Agile Manifesto, or are they just throwing around buzzwords?

So, let's address the elephant in the room — the industry needs a wake-up call.

We must move past this misuse, strip away the layers of nonsense and refocus on what Kent Beck , Mike Beedle (??), Arie van Bennekum , Alistair Cockburn , Ward Cunningham , Martin Fowler , James Grenning , Jim Highsmith , Andy Hunt , Ron Jeffries , Jon Kern , Brian Marick, Robert Martin , Stephen Mellor , Ken Schwaber , Jeff Sutherland and Dave Thomas originally intended by signing the Manifesto for Agile Software Development — to think about software development, methodologies and organizations in a new, more agile way.

Now, with a new year ahead, it's the perfect moment to take proactive steps. Let's actively seek to learn directly from the authors who pioneered the Agile movement and shaped its foundation. Their invaluable insights, disseminated through engaging talks, impactful books, meaningful discussions on LinkedIn and consulting services, form a rich source of wisdom ready to be utilized.

Yours,

Alex