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This resonates a lot, I like this idea of a "shepherding process" and digger deeper into what it takes to make big projects successful over time. That said, I

This resonates a lot, I like this idea of a "shepherding process" and digger deeper into what it takes to make big projects successful over time. That said, I think distilling down this hard-won experience tends to lead to cargo-culting. Just look at "Agile" itself and how it's been embraced and then twisted by consultants into the exact opposite of what was intended by The Agile Manifesto to begin with. This stuff sells because people want clarity of what to do on a daily basis, they don't want to confront the reality that is no guaranteed path to make large scale software successful. Certainly some process and structure are helpful as long as they are specific to the problem at hand, and focused on the needs of the people actually doing the solving and giving them whatever air cover and cross-pollination needed for them to get the reps on the actual software. Typically these types of projects happen in large orgs where there are incentives for middle management to avoid culpability for failure rather than to do what it takes to succeed (especially if it's a hard problem). In this kind of environment, process is often used as a cudgel for one group to protect itself by claiming "I did my job". So to your question: how effective is The Agile Manifesto in practice? I think of it sort of in the necessary-but-not-sufficient bucket. Basically if you have buy-in to give a team this flexibility and autonomy you have a crack at solving a hard problem. Now it depends on the team and the problem: is the problem ultimately solvable and does this team have the chops?

ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago
> how effective is The Agile Manifesto in practice? That's the rub. I feel as if it works extremely well, in my own work, but I currently work mostly alone (I am part of a loosely-coupled team, but I completely "own" my own part of the project). Getting it to work for a team, is not so easy. Organizations run on Process (note the capital "P"). I feel as if true Agile is something that we need to personally inculcate into our own lives, as Practice, Habit and Understanding. We need to be constantly working within our methodology, which, in my case, is equal parts Habit, and Experience. I don't think it's something that can be taught. It needs to be learned. The reason that I separate these two words that seem to mean the same thing, is that "teaching," is an outward-facing practice, while "learning" is an inward-facing one. I feel that we must -each and every one of us- make the effort to learn how to code as a craft. It starts within each of us, and that's not something that can be foisted upon anyone, or dictated with process. We also need to completely understand our craft, and the work we do. It should not be simple rote. Habit and rote are two different things. There's no "buzzwordy" or consultant-ready answer to that. TL;DR: It's complicated.

ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago

> how effective is The Agile Manifesto in practice? That's the rub. I feel as if it works extremely well, in my own work, but I currently work mostly alone (I am part of a loosely-coupled team, but I completely "own" my own part of the project). Getting it to work for a team, is not so easy. Organizations run on Process (note the capital "P"). I feel as if true Agile is something that we need to personally inculcate into our own lives, as Practice, Habit and Understanding. We need to be constantly working within our methodology, which, in my case, is equal parts Habit, and Experience. I don't think it's something that can be taught. It needs to be learned. The reason that I separate these two words that seem to mean the same thing, is that "teaching," is an outward-facing practice, while "learning" is an inward-facing one. I feel that we must -each and every one of us- make the effort to learn how to code as a craft. It starts within each of us, and that's not something that can be foisted upon anyone, or dictated with process. We also need to completely understand our craft, and the work we do. It should not be simple rote. Habit and rote are two different things. There's no "buzzwordy" or consultant-ready answer to that. TL;DR: It's complicated.