software development methodologies

A core tenet of many modern Agile approaches is estimating work effort using story points or abstract units instead of time estimates. Proponents argue points are more accurate because they supposedly account for variability in developer productivity. But this concept is deeply flawed. Points are always eventually deconstructed into dates on a calendar for planning purposes. No business can operate solely in an abstract point system detached from real-world time constraints. [Read More]

Agile software development burst onto the scene in 2001 as an antidote to heavily process-driven and documentation-heavy approaches like waterfall. Early Agile proponents promoted values like individuals over process, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan. 20 years later, Agile has become a parody of its original goals. Rigid frameworks like SAFe and dogmatic adherence to practices like daily standup meetings and sprint planning have replaced Agile’s initial flexibility and focus on individuals. [Read More]