The Agile Architect


How Agile Are You? Let's Actually Measure It! (Part 4: Team Dynamics)

Our Agile Architect shares the fourth part of his Agile Assessment, focusing on team dynamics.

How Agile Are You? Let's Actually Measure It! (Part 5: Product Ownership)

Our Agile Architect shares the fifth part of his Agile Assessment, focusing on product ownership.

How Agile Are You? Let's Actually Measure It! (Part 6: Project Management and More)

Our Agile Architect shares the sixth part of his agile assessment, focusing on the final areas of project management, risk management, organization support and change management.

Unbalanced Villains and Overpowered Heroes: An Agile Retrospective Game

In agile retrospectives, teams will often focus on just their weaknesses, assuming any strength is good. But what happens if the team is spending too much time honing the wrong strengths? Our Agile Architect introduces a fun game to explore the possibility.

Does Experience Inhibit Agility?

Knowledge and experience have an expiration date, especially in the IT world. As our Agile Architect hits 50, he ruminates on the idea that more experience doesn't necessarily equate to better results.

To Think Agile, What's the Real Question?

Our Agile Architect analyzes a letter from a reader and answers the question that wasn't asked.

Does Agile Apply To You?

Our Agile Architect ponders the applicability of agile thinking and methodologies outside traditional software development.

Getting Things Done the Agile Way

Our Agile Architect talks about how to get things "done done."

Learn Faster with Agile Spikes

A spike is the agile terminology for a short period of research unfettered by the constraints of test-driven development and the other disciplines necessary to produce production-quality software. In this article, our Agile Architect gives the low-down on how to use spikes and, more importantly, how not to use spikes.

A Fascinating Confession from our Agile Founding Fathers...

Recent evidence has surfaced that has produced a surprising confession from the founders of the Agilist movement -- that the true architects of the modern Agilist software movement were in fact the founding fathers of the United States of America.

The Agile Boy Scout: Characteristics of an Agile Team

An agile team is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly…

Agile Orthodontics and the Art of Brainstorming

We know software can be agile. Can teeth be agile too? Our Agile Architect shows how practicing brainstorming can be an important way to find novel solutions to tough problems.

Conflict and Resolution in the Agile World

As much as we'd like to believe that our agile teams work in an idyllic world, there can still be divisive disagreements. How does an agile team resolve these conflicts? As usual, our Agile Architect has his own ideas.

Agility and the Annual Review

Of course you're great. Why do you need to have an annual review to tell your boss? Our Agile Architect talks about an agile approach to the employee review process.

The Agile Act of Continuous Delivery

Agile teams deliver software often. Really agile teams deliver software on a continuous basis. Our Agile Architect explores the concepts and techniques behind continuous delivery.

Motivating Your Agile Team

Agile can't work without agile teams, and agile teams are made up of people. People can't work effectively without motivation. Our Agile Architect discusses different ways to motivate agile teams.

Making Agile Compromises

The Agile Manifesto describes the values of agile. Agile methodologies tell you how to achieve those values. But what happens when that isn't enough? Is Agile open to compromise?

Agile TBD

What is our Agile Architect writing about today? We're not quite sure but it may have something to do with responsibility and his own lack-there-of.

Agile Testing Heresy: Are You Testing Too Much?

Our Agile Architect commits heresy by suggesting that developers are writing too many tests. Perhaps the question should not be, "Do I have a test?" It should be, "Do I have the right test?"

How I Won the Battle but Lost the War: An Agile Saga (Part 2)

How does a project get late? One day at a time. Our Agile Architect shares some common pitfalls plus 15 sometimes seemingly contradictory tips that will help you win the war.