10 key principles of

agile software development

allaboutagile.com | by kelly.waters
what is agile software development?

• an alternative way of
managing software
development

• different values &

principles
to traditional development

• incremental, iterative &

collaborative, rather than
distinct stages
agile development values • individuals &
interactions
over processes and tools

• working software
over lengthy
documentation

• customer collaboration
over contract negotiation

• responding to change
over following a plan

“While there is value in items on

the right, agile teams value
items on the left more”
- agile manifesto
principle #1 – active user involvement is
imperative
principle #2 – agile teams must be empowered
[to give their full commitment and make timely decisions]
principle #3 – time waits for no man
[requirements emerge, timescales are fixed]
principle #4 – agile requirements are barely
sufficient
principle #5 – how do you eat an elephant?
[one bite at a time – small incremental pieces]
principle #6 – fast but not so furious
[focus on frequent delivery of products, and regular iterations]
principle #7 – done means DONE!
[features completed within an iteration should be 100% done, i.e. shippable]
principle #8 – enough’s enough
[apply the 80/20 rule – less is the new more]
principle #9 – agile testing is not for dummies
[testing is a continuous, integrated part of development]
principle #10 – no place for snipers
[close cooperation and collaboration between all team members and
stakeholders]
incremental, iterative & collaborative approach
benefits of an agile approach

• revenue • visibility
• speed to market • cost control
• quality • customer satisfaction
• flexibility / agility • less risk
• right product • more motivating!
 10 key principles of
agile software development
allaboutagile.com | by kelly.waters