Agile Wars: A Jedi's Journey - The Nexus of Planning and the Padawan's Path

Embracing Complexity, Forging Alliances, and Unleashing the Power of Agile Planning

Gather 'round, my padawan, as I regale you with a tale from the annals of my Agile journey, one that delves deep into the realm of planning and the challenges it brings. Picture this: it was 2015, a time when Agile was touted as the silver bullet for all things software development. But as the buzzword grew louder, so did the dilution of its true essence.

In those days, I stood (in spirit) with Pragmatic Dave, a stalwart champion of Agile, as he fearlessly proclaimed its demise. I wholeheartedly agreed with him, but rather than lament its passing, I pondered upon a question: how could we apply Agile's iterative mantra to Agile itself and usher in a new incarnation? This question led me down a path, and it was in the Planning pillar that I found the seeds of transformation.

Throughout my two decades of Agile practice, I've witnessed the challenges faced by larger companies, whose complex organizational structures surpass the simple foundations of technology startups. Agile 1.0, once the darling of small ventures, struggled to adapt to the ever-increasing complexities of these larger organizations. Alas, many fell into the trap of adopting Agile in name only, relying on consultants and trainers peddling quick fixes without truly embracing the hard work required to cultivate an Agile culture.

It was in the midst of this struggle that I stumbled upon a new realization, a path that promised clarity in planning through a unique lens. My padawan, I implore you to detach yourself from the shackles of strict timelines. Instead, let us immerse ourselves in the intricate tapestry of complexity. By embracing the true nature of our work, our understanding will deepen, and our timelines will naturally align with the demands of reality.

Imagine, my eager apprentice, a project as a finite body of work, bounded by time and delivering specific capabilities. When we seamlessly integrate these projects into the production code, they become an intrinsic part of the grand tapestry of our system. This realization places estimation at the forefront, a challenge we must tackle head-on. Complexity and timelines dance a delicate waltz, my padawan, and by understanding their interplay, we can navigate the labyrinth of planning and estimation with finesse.

Beware, my young learner, the peril of short-sighted leadership that fixates solely on immediate deliveries. The allure of meeting short-term demands often begets complexity, a vicious cycle where poor code begets more poor code. I've witnessed companies burdened by decaying codebases, trapped in an endless loop of patching rather than addressing the root causes. Multi-year projects may promise respite, aiming to tame the complexity, but all too often, they succumb to the same ineffective patterns, perpetuating the madness within the team.

To break free from this cycle, my padawan, we must forge alliances with our product and business teams. By understanding the essence of "what" we aim to achieve, rather than the arbitrary "when," we unlock the potential to reduce complexity and save valuable time in the long run. It is in this collaborative pursuit that the true power of my upcoming Agile framework comes to light.

But fear not, for my journey holds a tale that will illuminate the significance of this pillar. Join me, and together, we shall uncover the lessons I learned on my path to discovering a new Agile methodology and witness the transformative power through better planning.