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The agile principles are fairly solid, as far as principles go. They're people-first and they downplay process and planning. You can't blindly follow a plan, pr

by usea 13y ago

The agile principles are fairly solid, as far as principles go. They're people-first and they downplay process and planning. You can't blindly follow a plan, process, or ideal. Think. Communicate. The right thing to do changes in every situation. You can't follow dogma. But the idea that we should switch to a new word because the old one has been abused makes no sense. Why rally behind a word? Brands and labels only serve to stop people from thinking. They go against the whole idea. Words become dogma. Hell, even principles become dogma. Trying to distill it down to something that's easy to digest robs it of its value. The solution isn't a better dogma. It's people who can think. If you don't have the right people, no principle will save you.

Spearchucker 13y ago
You can't blindly follow a plan, process, or ideal You can. The question that you might ask is whether the plan is good or not. You can't follow dogma As above. Dogma actually has its uses. The trick is knowing how, where and when to use it, or someone who is dogmatic. Machiavellian, but its a tool nonetheless. Saying we don't need a plan is to thumb our nose at thousands of years of wisdom. Sun Tzu was not stupid when he suggested choosing a path only once the objective and environment are understood. Stephen Covey puts the same concept into modern terms when he suggests beginning with the end in mind. And that brings us to the disconnect we live in. Developing something using agile practices does not require a plan. A plan is however required at a level above the developer to steer development. As you go, you'll find yourself becoming interested in that plan more and more. It's a natural shift because the plan reflects the strategy, development is purely tactical. Understanding the strategy is motivational - it answers the why. Development is all about the how. Real value as a developer only comes from experience. An experienced developer is successful in spite of any methodology, approach or framework, not because of it. Something else we're really good at blinding ourselves to. Experience has no price. It amuses me to no end that we as an industry place higher value on the 20-something hacker than we do on the 50-something veteran. We're unintentionally letting culture hobble our chances of success.
- usea 13y ago
  You are right on all counts. I should be more considerate with my thoughts and words. I appreciate your nuance. Thank you. I would not eschew a plan, but I would alter or abandon it when it's favorable to do so. I meant only to advocate pragmatism, not anarchy.

by usea 13y ago

Spearchucker 13y ago

You can't blindly follow a plan, process, or ideal You can. The question that you might ask is whether the plan is good or not. You can't follow dogma As above. Dogma actually has its uses. The trick is knowing how, where and when to use it, or someone who is dogmatic. Machiavellian, but its a tool nonetheless. Saying we don't need a plan is to thumb our nose at thousands of years of wisdom. Sun Tzu was not stupid when he suggested choosing a path only once the objective and environment are understood. Stephen Covey puts the same concept into modern terms when he suggests beginning with the end in mind. And that brings us to the disconnect we live in. Developing something using agile practices does not require a plan. A plan is however required at a level above the developer to steer development. As you go, you'll find yourself becoming interested in that plan more and more. It's a natural shift because the plan reflects the strategy, development is purely tactical. Understanding the strategy is motivational - it answers the why. Development is all about the how. Real value as a developer only comes from experience. An experienced developer is successful in spite of any methodology, approach or framework, not because of it. Something else we're really good at blinding ourselves to. Experience has no price. It amuses me to no end that we as an industry place higher value on the 20-something hacker than we do on the 50-something veteran. We're unintentionally letting culture hobble our chances of success.

usea 13y ago
You are right on all counts. I should be more considerate with my thoughts and words. I appreciate your nuance. Thank you. I would not eschew a plan, but I would alter or abandon it when it's favorable to do so. I meant only to advocate pragmatism, not anarchy.