Marlene Roth & Tobias Mohr

How to sabotage your software development with agile? – 10 pro tips for guaranteed success

Is your agile process just a cargo cult? This talk reveals ten common anti-patterns that guarantee failure in software development.

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.

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