Is Agile Worth It?
Agile development is one of the topics that comes up repeatedly when Andy Vitale and I talk to folks on the Surfacing podcast. Of course…
Agile development is one of the topics that comes up repeatedly when Andy Vitale and I talk to folks on the Surfacing podcast. Of course, organizations want to innovate and be first, but what gets left behind when organizations rush forward without fully understanding the implications and impact of their work?
People have a lot of different answers to that question. And, in the context of where you live and work, those answers likely all have legitimacy. That point highlights one of the biggest challenges involved with designing and building for a World Wide Web — the scope and range of the endeavor. I enjoy and appreciate the comprehensiveness and global nature of the Web but also know that people struggle to govern, interact, and build responsibly in that big of a frame. Most of us are limited as individuals. Our life experiences give us a particular perspective. It’s easy to assume that everyone sees the world the same way we do, especially when surrounded by like-minded friends and colleagues. And, we have to consider our maturity as a human family. Look at the state of our physical world and our relationships within it. We’re still working on getting that together.
It is naive to think that the things we build and put online (at any speed) would somehow be better than what we are as humanity. We can only be as good online as we are in the real world. The Web is not a shortcut to circumvent the hard work we need to do as humans. If we are going to make our Web better, we are going to have to be better. And, while we’re working on ourselves, digital makers have to be mindful of and respect both the good and the harm that the Web can bring — and honor the role they play in bringing both of these dynamics to life. And, in some instances, it means that makers need to slow down, not speed up.
If you’re interested, listen to this Surfacing podcast Deep Dive conversation Andy and I had earlier this year. We asked the question, “Is Agile Worth It?” And we focus on what (or who) in organizations is behind the push to work quickly.