Agile Principles : # 3 & 4

Principle #3 – Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference for the shorter timescale

As per this principle, customer requirements should be divided in smaller pieces. Team should plan to deliver smaller pieces more frequently, than aiming for big bang releases. This small duration, called Sprint, can be of 1 week to 4 weeks’ time. At the end of each sprint, team is showcasing working software to stakeholders and getting their feedback.

Delivering working software in small iterations make it easy for teams to get feedback on time, and if required, or even in worst case, discard the work if customer does not like it. This way it would be just waste of efforts for just few weeks, not longer.

The impact of the work done would be less, as it’s a small piece developed. Think of a situation in old days when water fall practices were there. Change happening in later stage of development was costlier than done in earlier stages. The change management and higher cost problems handled very well by short development iterations.

Agile Principle

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Principle #4 – Businesspeople and developers must work together daily throughout the project

 This principle is about how it is important to have businesspeople and team working together, be in alignment and sync from the early stages of development. Unlike waterfall, not coming in the end at the time of delivery or release. In Scrum, PO plays the role of business, he/she is the face of business. He/she gives requirement, product vision, direction, and answer queries of teams regarding business requirement. Hence it recommended that team should have dedicated PO who is closely working with teams. He is available to teams to run backlog refinement, give feedback in sprint reviews and answer their queries. The purpose is to make sure that engineering teams and business aligned. There is no gap in requirement understanding, team understand the product vision and goals. Through timely feedback, PO and team can assure that they are on right track and there are surprises in delivery.

Agile Principles # 1&2