- Agile is an iterative and incremental approach to software development that delivers working software in small, frequent cycles, with continuous customer feedback and the ability to adapt to change.
- Agile is a mindset and set of principles, not a single process.
Why Agile Was Created?
Agile emerged because:
- Requirements changed faster than Waterfall could handle
- Long delivery cycles delayed value
- Customers saw software too late
- Teams needed flexibility
In 2001, 17 practitioners published the Agile Manifesto to formalize this shift.
The 4 Agile Values
From the Agile Manifesto:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
Agile does not say processes and plans are useless.
It says people and outcomes matter more.
The 12 Agile Principles (High Level)
Agile emphasizes:
- Early and continuous delivery
- Welcoming changing requirements
- Frequent delivery of working software
- Business and developers working together
- Sustainable pace
- Technical excellence
- Continuous improvement
How Agile Works in Practice
Iterations (Sprints)
- Short time-boxed cycles, usually 1 to 2 weeks
- Each sprint delivers usable software
Continuous Feedback
- Stakeholders review work regularly
- Adjustments are made every iteration
Self-Organizing Teams
- Teams decide how to achieve goals
- Less top-down micro-management
Common Agile Frameworks
Agile is implemented using frameworks like:
- Scrum
- Kanban
- Extreme Programming
Agile itself is not Scrum or Kanban.
Those are implementations of Agile thinking.
Agile vs Waterfall (Quick Contrast)
| Aspect | Waterfall | Agile |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery | One big release | Frequent small releases |
| Feedback | Late | Continuous |
| Change | Expensive | Expected |
| Team structure | Role-based | Cross-functional |
| Planning | Fixed upfront | Adaptive |
Where Agile Stops Short
Agile mainly fixes:
- How software is built
It does not fully address:
- How software is deployed
- How infrastructure is managed
- How systems run in production
That gap is where DevOps comes in.
One-Sentence Definition
- Agile is a flexible development approach that delivers working software frequently, embraces change, and relies on continuous collaboration and feedback.
TIP
- Agile helps teams build the right software.
- DevOps helps teams run it reliably at scale.
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