"You're assuming that it's realistic to expect that a requirements gathering process is able to precisely define all requirements" No, I'm not. I am assuming i

"You're assuming that it's realistic to expect that a requirements gathering process is able to precisely define all requirements" No, I'm not. I am assuming it's realistic to expect that a company actually put some effort into finding out what they need, and getting us that information so that we can actually plan out a project. "None of these assumptions hold even in conventional engineering projects." Part of the reason for that is that companies don't do any of that research. They don't look at what they need; they think about what they want. One of the biggest reasons people here dislike "Agile" is because management uses it as an excuse not to plan anything, and fly by the seat of their pants every two weeks.