“Agile” – oversold, under-delivered, and over here.

Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares is an excellent programme about consulting and software development. Gordon Ramsey visits a failing restaurant and occasionally turns them round. It’s never one problem. A failing restaurant is typically failing at all levels: the cooking is sub-standard; management is lax; orders are badly organised; the menus are badly planned; the waiting staff are surly; the accounts are a mess. Gordon Ramsey, Michelin star chef, understands the importance of all the factors.

So, cooking is not the only factor in the failure or success of a restaurant. But it is essential. Cooking and serving quality food is what a good restaurant is about: it is at its core; it is its identity.

Clarke Ching is pissed off. He believes the “Agile Community” is spending too much time and effort worrying a about technical matters, while the key to success is concentrating on marketing and negotiation skills. I do believe these things are important, necessary even. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have done things like run, organise and arrange courses and sessions on working with resistance and team dynamics.

So, coding is not the only factor in the success or failure of a software project. But it is essential. Delivering tested features is what software development is about: it is at its core; it is its identity.

As Brian Marick says, its worse than Clarke thinks. As “Agile” is being more successfully sold at the senior level I’m seeing, and hearing about, a worrying trend of over-selling and under-delivery. Corporate executives are being persuaded to give “Agile” a chance, and “Agile” is being foisted on teams that lack the passion and skills to deliver on the promise.

We’ve overreached – it’s time to pull back and regroup to concentrate on building, teaching, and improving the core skills and techniques we need for successful delivery.

Friday, December 14, 2007 | Permalink | 1 Comments