Agile is a very useful product.. for a certain target market. The problem is that the target market isn't developers, and the product isn't improved productivi

Agile is a very useful product.. for a certain target market. The problem is that the target market isn't developers, and the product isn't improved productivity. The target is middle management, and the product is risk management. Or more accurately, perceived risk management -- it doesn't really matter if it works, the narrative of "being agile" is more important because that narrative can be sold outside the group with all sorts of fancy charts showing just how well managed things are. That sounds cynical, but in a lot of ways it can be a good thing. Some fictions really do have a utility. For instance, by creating measurables (story points, etc), even if those measurable metrics are largely fictitious, it can give a group credibility that will prevent interference from outside stakeholders, and it can calm upper management that would otherwise be antsy.