Q: Agile is dead?

 

What is agile?

Agile is an approach and mindset for working in an environment with agility that learns and adapts rapidly. Different frameworks like Scrum and Kanban have become more common in project development. It advocates dynamic interaction more than traditional flow and documentation.

Why do we use agile?

I believe the major reason is efficiency and performance. Periodical retrospection and working software are crucial elements in the Agile approach when compared to traditional waterfall project management. Some successful startup stories also motivate others to believe in Agile values. Working software and minimum viable products ( MVPs ) are released to the market rapidly , generating significant revenue. This attracts more enterprises to adopt Agile in the last decade and even makes it a slogan to promote their business. Although some may criticize the strategy and improper implementation, it still creates an obvious trend in the industry , pushing things forward rapidly.

Is Agile dead?

As we know, applying the Scrum approach requires many changes and resources. It also takes time and money , which has become an obstacle in the recent challenging economic market. Many have been laid off , and growth is slower than before. Agile has become less important now because it is not a cheap process. It relies on human resources and time in terms of budget. We can clearly see a decline in job advertisements for Agile- related positions (e.g ., fewer Scrum Masters and Agile coaches ). Enterprises will try to spend less on those vacancies, perhaps trying to assign more duties to existing staff instead.

Another reason is the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). Now we have a cheaper replacement for better efficiency. With the use of ChatGPT, Copilot , and various AI services , we can shorten the time spent on many tasks. Some predict that thousands of jobs will vanish in the AI era. Thus, AI and machine learning have become new trends in our daily lives . Perhaps an individual using AI can eventually perform better and faster than a Scrum team.

To answer the question, I would say yes in terms of humans. Although Agile is a mindset for rapid changes and dynamism , it focuses on human interaction and teamwork to build things. With AI, it is less likely to have discussions about flow ; instead, AI needs to be agile enough (rather than humans ). Just like machine learning, it keeps learning and evolving easily , which is a kind of Agile concept , I think.

Conclusion

Agile is a concept and mindset. With the rapid changes, we need to evolve and not be bound by job roles or strategies . We can explore how AI can be part of our processes and workflows . Regardless of any challenges , we humans still need to survive in this cruel world.