Product Development

Agile Development

An iterative approach to software development and project management that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, continuous delivery, and rapid response to change.

agilesoftware-developmentproject-managementiterativescrum

Components

Iterative Development

Work in short cycles (sprints) to deliver incremental value

Continuous Feedback

Regularly gather input from stakeholders and users

Cross-Functional Teams

Self-organizing teams with all skills needed to deliver

Adaptive Planning

Adjust plans based on learning and changing requirements

Working Software

Prioritize delivering functional software over comprehensive documentation

When to Use

✓Software development projects with evolving requirements
✓Product development requiring frequent user feedback
✓Projects where time-to-market is critical
✓Teams needing to respond quickly to market changes

Benefits

+Faster time-to-market with incremental releases
+Better alignment with customer needs through feedback
+Improved team collaboration and morale
+Reduced risk through early and frequent delivery

Limitations

!Requires cultural shift and management buy-in
!Can be challenging for fixed-scope, fixed-price contracts
!May lack long-term architectural planning if not careful
!Requires active customer/stakeholder participation

Real-World Examples

Spotify's Squad Model

Industry: Technology

Implemented agile at scale with autonomous squads, tribes, and guilds

Outcome: Enabled rapid innovation and feature delivery

Resources

manifesto