Agile Glossary 101: Agile Manifesto

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What is an Agile Manifesto?

The Agile Manifesto is a set of principles that guide software development and design. It was created in 2001 by 17 software developers, including Martin Fowler, Kent Beck, and Ward Cunningham. The manifesto emphasizes collaboration between teams, iterative development cycles, and continual improvement through adaptation to customer feedback.

Key Values of Agile Manifesto

The four key values of the Agile Manifesto are:

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. This principle emphasizes the importance of team collaboration and communication and the value of each individual’s contributions.

2. Working software over comprehensive documentation. Emphasizes that the most important goal is to produce a working product rather than spending time documenting every detail.

3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. This principle advocates for more direct communication between customers and developer teams rather than relying on formal contracts.

4. Responding to change over following a plan. Agile teams are more flexible and open to change than traditional software development teams, as they understand that customer needs may change over time.

Why is the Agile Manifesto used?

The agile Manifesto allows teams to work more efficiently and effectively. Besides that, it focuses on collaboration, communication, customer satisfaction, and open-mindedness, which help to reduce development time and produce the best product possible.

The manifesto’s values also promote openness and transparency, which can lead to better customer relationships and more successful projects. Additionally, the Agile Manifesto principles provide developers with a framework for continually improving their processes and products.

Benefits of Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto can be a beneficial tool for companies, teams, and individuals to help them reach their goals. Traditionally, it was only used as a set of guiding principles for software development, but its principles apply to many areas. Its core values emphasize collaboration and communication, flexibility in processes, and the use of short iterations.