Lately, not just software engineers but professionals from various fields have been discussing Agile methods. Yet, many of us remain unsure about what Agile really entails.
Recently, I took an online course that made me realize the Agile method isn’t as complicated as it might seem—it's actually quite straightforward. Let me break it down.
Imagine someone has just launched an online clothing store. If the founder has ample funding, they might hire teams for marketing, sales, logistics, customer support, and more. But if funds are tight, the founder might handle all these roles personally until it becomes necessary to bring someone on board. In non-tech circles, this strategy is known as a lean approach—a concept thoroughly explored in Eric Ries’ well-known book, The Lean Startup.
In the software world, however, this same strategy is referred to as the Agile method. Developers typically work on specific tasks through brief stand-up meetings and then dive into the work at hand. There are two popular Agile methodologies—Scrum and Kanban. Scrum organizes work into fixed-length iterations called sprints, where teams commit to completing a set of tasks. Kanban, on the other hand, uses a continuous flow approach that visualizes work on a board (Kanban board) and pulls in new tasks as capacity allows and developers work on that specific task.
In summary, the Agile method is essentially the lean approach to software development—the very process we often hear about and use.
Lately, not just software engineers but professionals from various fields have been discussing Agile methods. Yet, many of us remain unsure about what Agile really entails.
Recently, I took an online course that made me realize the Agile method isn’t as complicated as it might seem—it's actually quite straightforward. Let me break it down.
Imagine someone has just launched an online clothing store. If the founder has ample funding, they might hire teams for marketing, sales, logistics, customer support, and more. But if funds are tight, the founder might handle all these roles personally until it becomes necessary to bring someone on board. In non-tech circles, this strategy is known as a lean approach—a concept thoroughly explored in Eric Ries’ well-known book, The Lean Startup.
In the software world, however, this same strategy is referred to as the Agile method. Developers typically work on specific tasks through brief stand-up meetings and then dive into the work at hand. There are two popular Agile methodologies—Scrum and Kanban. Scrum organizes work into fixed-length iterations called sprints, where teams commit to completing a set of tasks. Kanban, on the other hand, uses a continuous flow approach that visualizes work on a board (Kanban board) and pulls in new tasks as capacity allows and developers work on that specific task.
In summary, the Agile method is essentially the lean approach to software development—the very process we often hear about and use.