The Reason Of Agile Success Summarized to One Fact

What sentiment was strong enough to push authors of different frameworks to unite in a common cause?

Prompted and edited by the author.

Agile is possibly the most widely adopted software development methodology today. At the same time, it evokes strong opposing sentiments and often headlines with claims of its futility. Nevertheless, its rise from obscurity three decades ago to market dominance is undeniable. But how did this happen? What has Agile brought to the table that even the most traditional and rigid companies have felt compelled to adapt?

One reason for the numerous headlines questioning the value of Agile is the confusion between specific frameworks and the broader ideas embodied in the Agile Manifesto. It’s crucial to distinguish procedures like daily stand-ups and story pointing from the core values at the heart of Agile.

It’s also important to understand that what we know as the Agile Manifesto wasn’t the first attempt to counter the traditional Waterfall methodology, which many professionals saw repeatedly fail. Robert C. Martin, the organizer of the meeting at Snowbird that led to the Agile Manifesto, explains in “Clean Agile: Back to Basics” that it wasn’t the first attempt. He mentions that a year earlier, Kent Beck had tried to organize a similar meeting…