Marlene Roth, Tobias Mohr
How to sabotage your software development with agile? – 10 pro tips for guaranteed success
#1about 4 minutes
The problem with modern agile development
The original intent of the Agile Manifesto has been lost to complex frameworks and certifications, requiring a return to basic principles.
#2about 3 minutes
Avoid creating an agile cargo cult
Copying the superficial aspects of agile companies without understanding the underlying principles leads to failure.
#3about 1 minute
Protect engineers' focus from excessive meetings
Managers' meeting-heavy schedules disrupt the long blocks of focus time that software engineers need for complex problem-solving.
#4about 2 minutes
Prefer asynchronous communication over synchronization meetings
Excessive cross-team synchronization meetings can be replaced with asynchronous communication and findable knowledge bases to save time.
#5about 2 minutes
Align team structure with software architecture using Conway's Law
Since a system's architecture mirrors the organization's communication structure, teams should be organized by value stream, not by technical function.
#6about 1 minute
Recognize software engineers as designers, not just coders
Underestimating software engineers as mere 'programmers' ignores their crucial role in designing scalable and reusable systems.
#7about 1 minute
Define the role and purpose of an agile coach
Agile coaches should focus on improving processes and removing impediments, not acting as secretaries or event planners.
#8about 4 minutes
Empower product owners with authority and dedicated time
Product owners cannot succeed when they are part-time, lack decision-making power, or are senior managers without context.
#9about 3 minutes
Choose between project mode and product mode
Use a fixed-scope project mode for simple digitization, but adopt an iterative product mode for complex problems with unknown requirements.
#10about 3 minutes
Prioritize hands-on learning over formal certifications
The proliferation of agile certifications distracts from the most effective way to learn, which is by doing the actual work.
#11about 3 minutes
Balance team autonomy with management-defined boundaries
Effective management in an agile context involves defining the 'playing field' and constraints, then granting teams full autonomy within them.
#12about 1 minute
Three key principles for successful agile adoption
True agility comes from finding the right approach for your context, providing team autonomy, and focusing on people's growth over certifications.
Related jobs
Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.
Featured Partners
Related Videos
21:39Unveiling the Dark Side: Navigating the Pitfalls of Digital Ambitions
Johannes Hansen
39:49Antipatterns - nemesis of software development
Mustafa Toroman
25:40The Lifehacker's Guide to Software Architecture
Julian Lang
24:52We (don't) need a software architect!?!
Hendrik Lösch
28:17Why (most) software projects fail silently...
Hendrik Lösch
23:44The QUEST for Better Software
Richard Bown
46:48Seven Myths, Three Reasons, One Goal
Stefan Priebsch
24:38Resolving technical debts in software architecture
Carola Lilienthal
From learning to earning
Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.
Agile Project Managers 2025
Kairós Digital Solutions
Municipality of Madrid, Spain
Scrum
Agile Methodologies
Agile Program Leadership
VDart Software Services Pvt. Ltd.
Bristol, United Kingdom
€79K
CSS
GIT
Azure
NoSQL
+12
Agile Prinzipien und Methoden - OMR Academy
IBB Institut für Berufliche Bildung AG
Agile Methodologies
Agile Master / Teammoderator (m/w/d) Softwareentwicklung in Teilzeit (20 Std./Woche)
Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH
Achterwehr, Germany
Remote
Scrum
Agile Methodologies
Product Owner - Azure DevOps/Agile(all)
ITech Consult AG
Zürich, Switzerland
Remote
JIRA
Azure
Scrum
Confluence
+1