This is a special episode, where I introduce the "Big Agile Questions" survey and review some of the questions that you've already submitted! Thank you all who did!
You can find the submission form here. Submit your questions, as we will be reviewing these in future episodes!
To join 25,341 other Agilists on our Newsletter (˜1 post/week), visit this page, and join.
The Power of Asking Better Questions
At every major turning point in history, from the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution, progress has begun with asking better questions. The Agile movement itself started with the authors of the Agile Manifesto questioning traditional software development methods.
Now, in 2025, with significant changes in the industry including PMI's acquisition of the Agile Alliance, the community faces a crucial moment to shape its future direction through thoughtful inquiry and reflection.
"Throughout history, the biggest leaps forward have come from people willing to ask difficult, sometimes even quite challenging, questions."
The Future Beyond Agile
🎯 Max asks: What comes after the Agile era? Should we enter the ‘SmartOrg’ era, where multiple toolboxes thrive?
The question of what comes after the Agile era emerges as a central theme in the community submitted questions. While Agile has matured over two and a half decades, it continues to evolve beyond its first-generation frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, and XP. The focus shifts toward viewing Agile as a broader philosophy that can be adapted locally with different frameworks, while remaining open to new approaches that may emerge, particularly with the advent of AI and other technological advances.
This is only of the many questions we're trying to answer the The Global Agile Summit 2025. We’ll be featuring world-class speakers like:
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- Jurgen Appelo (Management 3.0)
- Gojko Adzic (Impact Mapping, Specification by Example)
- Clinton Keith (Agile for Game Development - EXCLUSIVE REVEAL!)
- …and many more!
At the Summit, we’ll be discussing these BIG Agile questions and working together on real-world, actionable solutions. If you want to be part of this movement, submit your session to share your story—or simply join us in Tallinn!" Go to GlobalAgileSummit.com and submit your session!
"Maybe we need to evolve towards a world where agile is more of a philosophy and that we locally adapt that philosophy to the different frameworks that we have at our disposal today and in the future."
Psychology and Business: Bridging the Gap
🎯 Bob Marshall (a previous guest) asks: Why is there so much willful blindness to psychology in business and software development?
The role of psychology in business and software development remains underexplored, despite its crucial importance. Modern understanding of concepts like psychological safety and team dynamics challenges traditional management approaches based on Frederick Taylor's scientific management ideas. The Agile community must continue to incorporate insights from psychology to create more effective and humane workplaces.
"Agile is about people, but sometimes we treat teams, organizations, and even people like machines."
The NoEstimates Approach to Delivery
🎯 Andrew Mitchell (a previous guest on the podcast) asks: How can we deliver sooner and meet product deadlines with better forecasting tools?
When faced with the challenge of meeting product deadlines and improving delivery forecasting, the traditional estimation approach has proven ineffective. Vasco's research shows that projects are on average 60% late, with larger projects experiencing even greater delays. The solution lies in shifting from rigid prediction expectations to simpler, more effective forecasting tools that combine historical data with human insights. The key strategy for Agilists is to focus on shorter, smaller projects that deliver to production, supported by practices like continuous integration and continuous delivery.
The NoEstimates movement already shows some options, practical approaches, that we can use to deliver on time. But we are just starting to discover these new approaches. There's more to come.
"If there's one thing we've learned from old school project management, the fading framework that is still the 600 pound gorilla in the room... estimates don't prevent delays."
Leadership in the Age of Specialists
🎯 Zvone asks: How can we challenge leaders to step up their involvement while remaining trusted and respected?
The evolution of leadership in Agile organizations presents unique challenges. Leaders must balance involvement with trust, influencing while allowing teams to grow and express their potential. The community needs to develop coherent frameworks and tools specifically for leaders, similar to how Scrum serves development teams or product discovery serves product owners.
In this segment, we refer to David Marquet and his work with Turn The Ship Around! A must-read book for all Agile leaders.
"Leaders are working with teams of specialists, people who know more about the work that they're doing than their leaders do. And that's okay because the leader shouldn't be doing that work."
Executive Engagement and Transformation
🎯 Liat Feren asks: How can we engage executives in Agile transformation?
Understanding and engaging with executives requires speaking their language and focusing on outcomes rather than frameworks. Success stories from the Global Agile Summit demonstrate how organizations can transform when executives are properly engaged and understand the value proposition of Agile approaches.
"Executives love outcomes. They don't really care for frameworks."
Submit your questions to our BIG Agile Questions survey! Let's continue to explore the future of Agile together!
About Vasco Duarte
Vasco Duarte is a thought leader in the Agile space, co-founder of Agile Finland, and host of the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast, which has over 10 million downloads. Author of NoEstimates: How To Measure Project Progress Without Estimating, Vasco is a sought-after speaker and consultant helping organizations embrace Agile practices to achieve business success.
You can link with Vasco Duarte on LinkedIn and connect with Vasco Duarte on Substack.
