Agile is Mostly Internally Focused

Todd Miller, Will Seele, and Ryan Ripley discuss Agile's internal (organizational) focus and the gap left by not addressing the Value component of Product Management and delivery.

In this Episode:

Internal Focus of Agile: The discussion, led by Todd Miller and Ryan Ripley, challenges the common perception of Agile as customer-centric and value-oriented, proposing instead that Agile is predominantly focused on internal processes and organizational matters rather than directly benefiting customers.

Agile Manifesto Analysis: The Agile Manifesto and its principles, when examined, emphasize team interactions, working software, and adapting to change but lack explicit directives that prioritize customer value or tangible benefits for the customer.

Evolution and Additions to Agile: Over time, various frameworks like Scrum, XP, Kanban, and others have evolved under the umbrella of Agile, incorporating aspects like customer centricity and iterative development. However, these are seen as additions to the core Agile philosophy, which remains internally focused.

Evidence-Based Management Connection: The conversation transitions to evidence-based management and its potential integration with Agile. This approach aims to complement Agile by introducing a more outward, value-driven focus, assessing Agile’s impact on customers and market performance.

Insufficiency of Agile Alone: The presenters conclude that while Agile methodologies are crucial, they are insufficient to ensure organizational success. They stress the need to balance Agile's internal process focus and external value delivery, advocating for a continuous evaluation of Agile's effectiveness and alignment with strategic goals.