Musings after Agile on the Beach

This post gathers together some of the strongest impressions made on me by the recent   Agile on the Beach conference in Cornwall.

Agile is a mindset, a collection of methodologies and tools put together by people, predominantly involved in software production.  It is strongly influenced by Lean Manufacturing methods and what Toyota did in developing their production systems, starting with Kanban.

Although Agile was developed in the software industry, its methods and lessons can be applied in any activity where there are customers, developers and producers, and deliverers.

Agile is also relevant to new activities and to those which are already established.

Since people and their relationships are more important than the processes and tools when being agile, personal experience, character and aspirations will influence what one finds rings true and makes sense. Each person following the Agile path will make their own journey, collect their own bits of wisdom, have their own favourites.

Product development

“Instead of “we can build it” we start with:

• Do customers have this problem?

• If we solved it, would they pay for it?

• Would they buy it?

Then:

• Can we build it?”

Benjamin Mitchell

 

“Innovation Accounting

The Three Learning Milestones

1. Establish the baseline

– Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

– Measure how customers behave right now

2. Tune the engine

– Experiment to see if we can improve metrics from the baseline towards the ideal

3. Pivot or Persevere

– When experiments reach diminishing returns, it’s time to pivot

Pivots

• A pivot is a change designed to test a new fundamental hypothesis about the product,

business model or engine of growth

• A startup’s runway is the number of pivots it can still make

• Pivots take courage”

Benjamin Mitchell

Innovation

“Successful Innovation:

Make a little.

Sell a little.

Learn a little.

Innovation = 1% Inspiration + 99% Perspiration

1. Significant, focused technical expertise

A decade of deliberate practice.

2. Deep understanding of an important problem

What annoys people?

3. Passion, engagement, dedication

Obsessed with growing the idea.

4. Experimental approach

Build to learn. Learn to Pivot.”

Mary Poppendieck

Value Stream Mapping

“Map End-to-End Flow

Value Stream –  The flow of activities that starts with a customer in need, and ends when that customer’s need is satisfied.”

Mary Poppendieck – Value Stream Mapping

Stories

“Format of a Story

As a <role, beneficiary> I want

<capability> so that <benefit>

+ <role> is the customer of the Story

+ <capability> is what

+ <benefit> is why

Conditions of Satisfaction

<Facts that would demonstrate ‘capability’ exists>”
Nancy Van Schooenderwoert