What are the Basics of Agile Methodology? You have heard the phrase “Agile Methodology” practically thousands of time. Understanding Agile is at the heart of becoming Product Agnostic.
But, what on Earth is Agile Methodology? Remember, there are many versions of Agile available out there. A few common frameworks are SAFe, SCRUM, LESS and XP.
I have tried to not focus on any one particular method. Choosing a method depends entirely on what works best for you.
It is not as complex as it sounds. If someone says otherwise, point them to this blog.
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Agile Methodology History
Development staggered into iterations has been recorded since the 1950s.
The traditional models were called “heavyweight models”. The Waterfall model is a classic example.
As an alternative to these heavyweight models, new “lightweight models” began to take shape.
However, what really gave shape to the Agile Methodology was the Utah meet in 2001 of a group of software engineers.
These people all brainstormed and agreed upon what we now know as the “Agile Manifesto”.
I have talked about the Agile Manifesto in detail in the following sections. But, I think it was better to cover some history before we moved ahead.
History gives us perspective that make us value our present more.
Agile Methodology Basics
So what is agile? What are the agile methodology steps? What are the agile principles and what is the agile definition?
To put it simply, Basics of Agile Methodology consists of the following best practices. Agile overview –
- Gather Product Requirements – remember the KISS principle
- Develop Product Blueprint
- Prioritise Features – Learn Jira!
- Develop the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
- Release the MVP
- Track and Monitor
- Repeat!
The final step is what differentiates Agile vs Waterfall.
And, don’t forget to communicate like a PM!
You would be surprised to know how many big corporates still use the Waterfall Development Lifecycle.
Dinosaurs!
Agile Manifesto – What is Agile?
The Agile Manifesto was published in 2001 to streamline the practices of agile. These were developed by 17 software engineers in Utah.
This also gave a common reference point to for software developers and a common set of guidelines for Product Managers.
The four points of the Agile Manifesto are –
You should also make an effort to understand the Scrum basics, which have been covered below.
Agile Methodology Benefits
Using the agile development cycle in particular, and the agile environment in general, has some inherent benefits of the agile techniques –
- Agile Scrum – Small release cycles enable optimum scrum developer resource utilisation.
- Iterative Development – Ensures early incorporation of stakeholder feedback.
- Continuous Feedback Loop – Keeps the team nimble and flexible.
Fast iterations is exactly what makes Elon Musk an excellent Product Manager.
In addition to the above, strategies such as Google’s OKR Framework can immensely help you.
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Challenges of Agile Methodology
Of course, there are many big corporates that are trying to move to the Agile Model. But, it is easier said than done.
Thus, it is also important to remember the must have skills for a Product Manager.
Most large corporates have several built-in checks and balances. And rightly so. These companies are also tightly regulated.
With tight regulation and legacy systems, it is sometimes not possible to do quick iterations.
The risk from quick iterations is greater than the benefit. So, very frequent releases is simply not an option for these firms.
Product Manager’s Job
Never forget what differentiates a Product Manager vs a Product Owner. Equally important, a Product Manager vs a Project Manager.
As a Product Manager, it is your job to make sure that you set the right expectations.
You should also go through the list of top 10 product management tools.
So, work with your Business stakeholders to make sure they understand Agile. Also, work with your Development partners to make sure they can understand the Business timelines.
But, that does not mean these corporates cannot be agile. They can be. Remember –
Agile is a Mindset, not a Process
With that in mind, try to incorporate as many Agile Principles as you can. But, don’t be stuck up on following everything by the book.
There are 12 Agile Principles. You should definitely know all of them.
A great Product Manager knows when to innovate, to overcome any and every obstacle!
What is Scrum Agile?
Scrum Agile methodology refers to the practice of having scrum teams work in a fixed cadence of sprints.
Each sprint has a set duration.
At the end of each sprint, all features worked on during a particular sprint are released.
Check out a list of the top 15 benefits of Scrum.
The primary benefit of Scrum is the set cadence of a release schedule.
It gives immense clarity to all stakeholders on what to expect. There are no surprises.
What you get at the end of the sprint is what was put in to the backlog before the sprint.
What is Kanban Agile?
Kanban is a very populat flavor of Agile.
The Kanban Board is at the heart of the Kanban methodology.
Now would be a great time to review the top 15 benefits of Kanban!
A key benefit of Kanban is the visual appeal of seeing all your tasks in front of you.
Not only that, when you move a task to the “Done” stage, it actually gives a great sense of accomplishment to the development team.
There are no hidden backlogs. If you need to add a task, you need to first remove a task. It is as simple as that.
Agile Methodology Tutorial Online
You can check some great resources online for agile practices –
- Top 9 Product Management Certifications
- Training – Agile training Courses
- Differences – Agile vs Waterfall comparison table
- For Scrum Masters – Agile scrum methodology
- QA guidelines – Agile methodology in testing
- Useful Agile methodology tutorial
- Agile methodology PDF
As you can see, there are many resources available online to get going. Remember, you need to incorporate agile processes over time.
Conclusion – Basics of Agile Methodology
If you are a startup that is just starting out, then you will most probably pick agile. Within a startup, if you are not picking agile, I would be really surprised.
If you are working in a traditional corporate that is trying to join the agile bandwagon, then you need to be careful about how you start setting up your agile processes.
Don’t make the mistake of spending your maximum time on getting the ‘right process’.
A process is only a means to achieve a goal. Spend your maximum time on working towards achieving that goal.
This is a common mistake that many middle mangers tend to make. When something goes wrong, a middle manager would always blame the process.
However, if you are a champ Product Manager, you would know that the process is only a means to an end. You would analyze what went wrong and fix it.
At the end of the day, make sure what you do, you only do it to make your product better.
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