Is the Agile Manifesto Ready for an Upgrade?
It has been quite a break.
Regularly posting on LinkedIn provided me an opportunity to find a theme that would resonate in the rapidly changing world of product development. While my efforts to archive those posts were lackluster, a calculated choice I own, I now have a compelling reason to resume.
My focus has shifted to Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). Why add another voice to the growing multitude? Because my core theme remains the same: teams, technology, and training. The influence of Gen AI on these three pillars has renewed my vigor for blogging.
Challenging the “Agile Tax”
Out of my hiatus came videos, a newsletter, and many conversations around the future of work. Most recently, the Manifesto for Agile Software Development has been at the center of those discussions.
Years ago, my colleague Blake and I authored posts about the Manifesto. It is arguably one of the most influential artifacts in software history, shifting ways of working for over two decades. But as we approach its 25th anniversary, I believe it’s time for an update.
Wait, what?! You’re probably thinking, “Tim, what you’re proposing is heresy.”
Yes, and it’s time to get heretical. Gen AI has fundamentally changed the environment the Manifesto was written to address. Consider the original values:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
For years, teams were paying a “tax” to deliver solutions—the overhead required to honor the items on the right. Do teams have to pay that tax anymore? In my opinion, no. The efficiencies unlocked by Gen AI mean we can finally move past the trade-offs of the last 25 years.
From “Business-Focused” to “Build-Focused”
Gen AI has shifted my thinking on the “art of the possible.” I’ve moved toward being more “build-focused” while remaining “business-focused” within product teams.
If you’re wondering what that looks like in practice, I’ve been documenting the journey across several platforms:
- The BMAD Experiments: Exploring Business-Managed Application Development. Watch the Playlist
- AI-Focused Deep Dives: Practical applications of Gen AI in dev workflows. Watch the Playlist
- How To: #Tim_Unscripted: Raw, real-time builds and lessons learned. Watch the Playlist
- GitHub: Follow my latest repositories and code experiments at tim-dickey.
Join the Conversation
I am covering these shifts in detail in my LinkedIn newsletter, “The Great Inversion.” If you want to remain effective in product development as we enter the “Artificial Intelligence Age,” this is my call to arms.
Subscribe to The Great Inversion on LinkedIn
Do you think the Agile Manifesto is still sufficient, or is it time we rewrite the rules for the AI era? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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