Catch AgileCatch AgileAntipatterns of using Agile: how to survive

by Yuriy V. Silvestrov

About meAbout me

Yuriy V. Silvestrov10+ years record in IT, 8+ years devoted to managing

projects. Now working for Ciklum, managing a team of 30+ persons making different software for Danish financial organizations.

Please visit my website http://yuriy.silvestrov.comfor more info or contact me at yuriy@silvestrov.comTwitter: @ysilvestrov

About lectionAbout lection Based on my own and team experience

and a lot of interviews conducted

Have been presented in Ciklum Donetsk, Vinnitsa and Odessa last month

but reworked a afterwards.

Time is countingTime is counting

⌛ < 30

ContentContent

Catches• When size matters• When Agile wouldn’t work• Dealing with Conveyor• Scrum-like• Scrum cargo cult• Common sense bias• Anything beyond agile?

Q&A

Snowflake men by Max DorofeevSnowflake men by Max Dorofeev

Agile frameworksAgile frameworks

Scrum XP Kanban Lean Crystal

Catch 1: quick growCatch 1: quick grow

Cockburn Cockburn ScaleScale

The closer the project is to the right-top, the more formal process you need.

L L6 L20 L40 L100

E E6 E20 E40 E100

D D6 D20 D40 D100

C C6 C20 C40 C100

1-6 7-20 21-4041-100

Solution?Solution?

Start creating procedures May be even to become more formal and

less agile When the project and team became more

mature, you could bring agility back

Catch 2: Agile principles violationCatch 2: Agile principles violation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change over following a plan

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Solution?Solution?

Try to keep agility inside, and be formal seen from outside

Actually, it’s rather political then project management problem, and you need to solve it with the political tools J

““DeathMarch” by Edward YourdonDeathMarch” by Edward Yourdon

Catch 3: dealing with conveyorCatch 3: dealing with conveyor

Why Scrum is not best choiceWhy Scrum is not best choice

No releases schedule Priorities changing often Hard to estimate size of each element

Solution?Solution?

Try Kanban

Catch 4: scrum-likeCatch 4: scrum-like

Scrum-like symptoms: Scrum-like symptoms: No retrospectivesNo retrospectives

Should always try to improve

Scrum-like symptoms: Scrum-like symptoms: Standup-meeting as speech to PMStandup-meeting as speech to PM

Scrum-like symptoms: Scrum-like symptoms: No Done-Done criteriaNo Done-Done criteria

Code Complete ✔Unit Tested ✔Peer Reviewed ✔QA Complete ✔Documented ✔Don

e!

Done!

Scrum-like symptoms: Scrum-like symptoms: 80% done80% done

Pareto rule: 80% of task value takes 20% time. Another 20% takes another 80% of time.

Solution?Solution?

Try to review your process against the agile manifesto and checklists

If something is missing, think if you could benefit from bringing it back.

Catch 5: Scrum cargo cultCatch 5: Scrum cargo cult

SolutionSolution

Rethink you process: are you benefitting from all of you tools and processes?

Formal and informal retrospectives should help.

Catch 6: Common sense biasCatch 6: Common sense bias

Common sense bias examplesCommon sense bias examples

Pair programming Planning poker

Solution?Solution?

Measure! Implement the right metrics

Catch 7: Is there anything beyond Catch 7: Is there anything beyond Agile? Agile?

SCRUM to PMBOK areasSCRUM to PMBOK areas

Integration Scope Time

Cost Quality Human Resource

Communications Risk Procurement

Solution?Solution?

Learn!

Questions?Questions?

???

Thank you!Thank you!

yuriy@silvestrov.com