Guide
Agile methodologies
"Agile" has been used to sell everything. Under the noise there is a simple, useful idea: deliver in small pieces, look at the result, and correct course with that information.
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The agile manifesto (2001) is not a method: it is four preferences and twelve principles. The practical essence is to reduce batch size — deliver a little, often — to shorten the time between a decision and the evidence of whether it was right.
Agile versus waterfall
In waterfall the whole scope is defined up front and executed in long phases (analysis, design, development, testing). It works when the problem is well understood and changes little. As soon as there is uncertainty — about what the user wants, about the technology — an agile approach reduces risk because you find the mistakes in weeks, not at the end.
Kanban
Kanban is the lightest thing you can call agile: visualise the work on a board, limit how many things are in progress at once, and measure cycle time. No roles, no iterations. It fits support, maintenance and teams where work arrives unpredictably.
Scrum
Scrum adds a structure of iterations (sprints), three roles and a set of meetings. It brings rhythm and predictability when you have to commit to deliveries for third parties. It has its own guide.
When it does NOT fit
- Fixed-scope, fixed-price contracts agreed up front with no room for change: the agile model clashes with the shape of the contract.
- Systems with per-version certification or regulatory requirements that demand full documentation up front.
- One-person teams: much of the agile machinery is coordination, and it is redundant.
- When "agile" is used as an excuse not to plan or write anything down: that is not agile, that is chaos.
FAQ
What people ask us
Does agile mean no documentation and no planning?
No. It means not investing in documentation and planning that will be obsolete before they are used. You document and plan what adds value within the horizon where it is reliable.
Kanban or Scrum?
Kanban if work is continuous and unpredictable and you prioritise on the fly. Scrum if you need to commit to deliveries by date and a rhythm of iterations suits you.
Can you be agile with a client who wants a fixed price?
Yes, by fixing the price of a first bounded phase and re-quoting with what you learn. The upfront diagnosis exists for exactly that.
Is "agile at scale" (SAFe, LeSS) worth it?
Only with many teams working on one product. For one or two squads it adds coordination that is not needed.
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