We start our focus on the Agile Manifesto with a deep dive into the twelve principles they address. Thus, we begin at the first principle and will focus on that one in this episode. This point also gives us a foundation of trying to satisfy the customer.
Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer
through early and continuous delivery
of valuable software.
Satisfy The Customer
Anyone that tells you Agile is primarily about anything other than the customer is misinformed. The first item states that the highest priority is the customer. Not only that but satisfying them. Therefore, we are not focused on meeting requirements or even an incredible design. Customer satisfaction is number one. Many things go into achieving that. However, the “why” of any software product is to satisfy the customer. Keep that in mind as we work through the twelve principles. Do not worry. We will be reminded of that “why” along the way.
Early and Continuous Delivery
Modern software development often embraces this pair of suggestions. We are hard-pressed to open an article on software development that does not mention CI/CD or Dev Ops. Either everyone is wrong, or this is a recipe for success.
It can seem unpleasant to take this approach. We could liken it to children on a trip asking, “are we there yet?” However, a clear and continuous conversation about a solution is constructive. Software is sophisticated, and showing progress can help educate the customer on what is possible and the user experience. These are essential factors in a solution that satisfies.
A Tight Focus
Software development is complex. However, that does not mean the process has to be complicated. We can simplify things by taking small bites. A recommended approach is assessing small steps. We achieve this by providing incremental changes for the customer to review. They get something easy to understand and see in the grand scheme of things. Likewise, we avoid long periods without feedback. Those periods can be useful. On the other hand, they can allow us to veer far from the desired path.
