What is Agile

I know that you would be surprised to see the title !!! But, if you read the article by David Anderson you would definitely realize that most of us are forgetting the goal that was created to create agility in software development.

Just to summarize the point from the above article,
A process is agile if it

* enables companies to easily respond to change
* delivers working code to market faster (than previously or with other methods)
* delivers high quality working code
* improves productivity
* improves customer satisfaction
* and provides an environment for a well motivated team with high job satisfaction

Here is a good comparison between defined process and agile from Mishkin Berteig

Agile Axioms: We are Creators, Reality is Perceived, Change is Natural
Defined Process Axioms: Humans are Resources, Reality can be Legislated, Change is Bad

Agile Disciplines: Empower the Team, Amplify Learning, Eliminate Waste
Defined Process Disciplines: Enforce the Process, Avoid Experiments, Eliminate Variance