What is Agile Software Development and why do we use it?
Agile is a way of dealing with and succeeding in a turbulent and uncertain environment. It is the ability to create and respond to change. In simple words, Agile is about thinking through how you can better understand what is happening in the environment that you live in, identifying the uncertainty you are facing, and figuring out how you can adapt to the changes.
In software development, Agile is a term used for a set of practices and frameworks that are based on the principles and values expressed in the 12 Principles and the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. The main thing that separates Agile software development from other approaches is that it follows an iterative process where less time is spent on prioritization and upfront planning; Agile offers more flexible changes and specification developments.
A short history
Many people consider the meeting that happened in 2001 when the term Agile software development surfaced, as the start of it all. However, people have worked in an Agile fashion before the 2001 meeting, starting way back in the mid-90s. When the old strategies no longer worked, the software developers started mixing new and old ideas until they found a combination that worked.
However, only at the 2001 meeting was the Manifesto for Agile Software Development created. It all started when a group of 17 software developers, including Bob Martin, Jim Highsmith, Jon Kern, Martin Fowler, Ken Schwaber, and Jeff Sutherland, met in Oregon to discuss how they could speed up the development time to bring the new software to the market faster.
Modern Agile Software Development
Innovative companies, software industry leaders, and agile pioneers have discovered studier, more streamlined, and simpler ways to be agile in the past couple of years. Modern Agile is a community perfect for those interested in uncovering different ways of achieving great results.
We apply Agile methodology that results in a shortened time to market. It is the preferred development method for teams who need to deliver on time, before competitors. As a result, agile reduces technical debt, improves customer satisfaction, and provides a higher quality product.
It’s all about the mindset
Agile is simply the mindset formed by the information taken from the Agile Manifesto’s values and principles; that provide guidance on ways you can create and respond to change, as well as how to deal with uncertainty.