Agile manifesto and principles

The text for this post is taken from the reference links. No book or blog on agile software delivery is complete without a mention of the manifesto and principles. The principles behind the agile manifesto unfortunately do not provide any in-depth insights over what is already conveyed in the manifesto. Most of the principles are applicable to any product or team, irrespective of the methodology or philosophy for execution, and this probably is the motivation and cause behind the hundreds of books and blogs that attempt to convey how the manifesto and principles have to be adopted in practice, to achieve desired outcomes.


Manifesto for agile software development (Reference: http://agilemanifesto.org/)

We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

12 Principles behind agile manifesto (Reference:http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html)

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.

2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.

3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter time-scale.

4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.

6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.

7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.

8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.

9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.

10. Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential.

11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.