Comments on: The destination not the route: A sideways look at “agile” http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/ a blog about information Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:00:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Confused Of Calcutta » Blog Archive » Another sideways look at Agile, passing Waterfalls on the way http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-29500 Confused Of Calcutta » Blog Archive » Another sideways look at Agile, passing Waterfalls on the way Sun, 10 Dec 2006 23:49:05 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-29500 [...] Sometime ago, in a post entitled The Destination Not the Route, I shared some of my thoughts about Agile development. Since then, a number of people have come up to me or written to me asking for a similar sideways look at the time dimension, particularly in the context of Agile versus Waterfall development. [...] [...] Sometime ago, in a post entitled The Destination Not the Route, I shared some of my thoughts about Agile development. Since then, a number of people have come up to me or written to me asking for a similar sideways look at the time dimension, particularly in the context of Agile versus Waterfall development. [...]

]]> By: The Equity Kicker » Blog Archive » VC model changing but not broken http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-12144 The Equity Kicker » Blog Archive » VC model changing but not broken Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:17:59 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-12144 [...] The challenge for VCs is the pace at which everything is changing.  You can’t wait for the business model to be clear before investing or you will miss the value creation point.  I have started to liken this to aspects of agile development processes in IT.  You start out knowing the direction you are going in and where you want to get to, and you have an idea of how you are going to get there.  But there is a lot of uncertainty and it is expected that the path will change as you learn more on your journey (check out JP’s post The desitination not the route: A sideways look at “agile” for a good explanation of this).  That lack of certainty (and therefore control) is tough for people to get their minds around but it is the new way.  In just about every setting you can’t get the benefits of social software without ceding control and trusting people to go innovate - this is a struggle for management in many industries and as VCs we are fighting with it now.  Investment parameters are changing as a result, but I don’t think it means the model is broken. [...] [...] The challenge for VCs is the pace at which everything is changing.  You can’t wait for the business model to be clear before investing or you will miss the value creation point.  I have started to liken this to aspects of agile development processes in IT.  You start out knowing the direction you are going in and where you want to get to, and you have an idea of how you are going to get there.  But there is a lot of uncertainty and it is expected that the path will change as you learn more on your journey (check out JP’s post The desitination not the route: A sideways look at “agile” for a good explanation of this).  That lack of certainty (and therefore control) is tough for people to get their minds around but it is the new way.  In just about every setting you can’t get the benefits of social software without ceding control and trusting people to go innovate – this is a struggle for management in many industries and as VCs we are fighting with it now.  Investment parameters are changing as a result, but I don’t think it means the model is broken. [...]

]]> By: Tom Ayerst http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-11250 Tom Ayerst Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:58:39 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-11250 And now you have my e-mail :-) And now you have my e-mail :-)

]]> By: Tom Ayerst http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-11246 Tom Ayerst Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:30:26 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-11246 To me the essence is shortening and firming of feedback loops and learning from it. Automated testing means you get solid feedback about the state of the system very fast. Frequent deliveries mean that the real world customers can tell you if you built the right thing. Reflection on the process in daily, iteration and release frames means that the process itself is constantly refined and optimised. To me the essence is shortening and firming of feedback loops and learning from it.

Automated testing means you get solid feedback about the state of the system very fast.

Frequent deliveries mean that the real world customers can tell you if you built the right thing.

Reflection on the process in daily, iteration and release frames means that the process itself is constantly refined and optimised.

]]> By: Confused Of Calcutta » Blog Archive » Musing about the value of social software http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-10269 Confused Of Calcutta » Blog Archive » Musing about the value of social software Fri, 06 Oct 2006 21:56:17 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-10269 [...] Following a recent post I’d written on Agile, David Tebbutt (who’s on my blogroll and an occasional commenter) raised the following point: One thing bothers me and that is that huge numbers of people, evangelists if you like, have enthusiasms for things like ’social computing.’ Their enthusiasm isn’t for particular products, more for improving the communication experience, but they have no clear destination in mind. Not one that makes any sense to the sponsors they’re seeking anyway (e.g. the board). [...] [...] Following a recent post I’d written on Agile, David Tebbutt (who’s on my blogroll and an occasional commenter) raised the following point: One thing bothers me and that is that huge numbers of people, evangelists if you like, have enthusiasms for things like ’social computing.’ Their enthusiasm isn’t for particular products, more for improving the communication experience, but they have no clear destination in mind. Not one that makes any sense to the sponsors they’re seeking anyway (e.g. the board). [...]

]]> By: mobmash blog » Blog Archive » links for 2006-10-06 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-10195 mobmash blog » Blog Archive » links for 2006-10-06 Fri, 06 Oct 2006 00:30:18 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-10195 [...] Confused Of Calcutta » Blog Archive » The destination not the route: A sideways look at “agile” (tags: agile software development) [...] [...] Confused Of Calcutta » Blog Archive » The destination not the route: A sideways look at “agile” (tags: agile software development) [...]

]]> By: JP http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-10155 JP Thu, 05 Oct 2006 14:11:24 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-10155 I'll be there, Hugh. Be good to catch up. I’ll be there, Hugh. Be good to catch up.

]]> By: Hugh MacLeod http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-10153 Hugh MacLeod Thu, 05 Oct 2006 14:09:31 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-10153 see you, sean and malc tonight at the film, hopefully? all the info is on the wiki http://www.thehughpage.com/Hallam_Foe_Bloggers%27_Film_Premier._Thursday%2C_October_5th%2C_2006 look forward! see you, sean and malc tonight at the film, hopefully? all the info is on the wiki

http://www.thehughpage.com/Hallam_Foe_Bloggers%27_Film_Premier._Thursday%2C_October_5th%2C_2006

look forward!

]]> By: iface thoughts » Blog Archive » On Agile http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-10151 iface thoughts » Blog Archive » On Agile Thu, 05 Oct 2006 13:54:14 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-10151 [...] JP has put up a nice perception of agile - The destination not the route: A sideways look at agile. He very right demonstrates situations when agile is and is not applicable. [...] [...] JP has put up a nice perception of agile – The destination not the route: A sideways look at agile. He very right demonstrates situations when agile is and is not applicable. [...]

]]> By: JP http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/comment-page-1/#comment-10150 JP Thu, 05 Oct 2006 13:46:56 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2006/10/04/the-destination-not-the-route-a-sideways-look-at-agile/#comment-10150 methodology suggests some modicum of standardised repeatable process. one "anything" per project or deliverable or situation does not suggest standardised repeatable process. which is why i went back to mindset and principles. when you then take Gary Casey's point about the importance and role of testing, you start moving to a situation where you are change-agnostic because you have tested against all possible situations. Obviously a constrained set, so "all possible" rather than "all". Drum-Buffer-Rope was closer to "mindset and principles" than methodology-tool-technique. Or so I thought. You have a long memory, Dom, must have been 2004 when I posted about that. methodology suggests some modicum of standardised repeatable process.

one “anything” per project or deliverable or situation does not suggest standardised repeatable process.

which is why i went back to mindset and principles.

when you then take Gary Casey’s point about the importance and role of testing, you start moving to a situation where you are change-agnostic because you have tested against all possible situations. Obviously a constrained set, so “all possible” rather than “all”.

Drum-Buffer-Rope was closer to “mindset and principles” than methodology-tool-technique. Or so I thought.

You have a long memory, Dom, must have been 2004 when I posted about that.

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