Agile Development
Agile development is an iterative approach to software development that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, customer feedback, and small rapid releases over rigid planning and extensive documentation. It is guided by the Agile Manifesto's four values and twelve principles.
§ 1 Definition
Agile development is a philosophy and set of principles for software development that prioritizes iterative progress, collaboration, and responsiveness to change. It emerged in 2001 when 17 software developers published the Agile Manifesto, which values individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responding to change over rigid processes and documentation. Agile rejects the traditional waterfall model where each phase (requirements, design, implementation, testing) is completed sequentially. Instead, work is broken into small increments delivered in short cycles (typically 1-4 weeks). Each cycle produces a potentially shippable product increment. Agile is not a single methodology but an umbrella term for frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, and XP that implement its principles.
§ 2 The Agile Manifesto Values
The Manifesto for Agile Software Development established four core values: 1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. 2. Working software over comprehensive documentation. 3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. 4. Responding to change over following a plan. These are complemented by 12 principles including: deliver working software frequently (every few weeks), welcome changing requirements even late in development, business people and developers must work together daily, and at regular intervals the team reflects on how to become more effective.
§ 3 Agile vs Waterfall
The waterfall model follows a linear, sequential design process where each phase must be completed before the next begins. Agile is iterative and incremental. Waterfall works well for projects with fixed, well-understood requirements (like construction or manufacturing). Agile excels when requirements are uncertain or likely to change (most software projects). The waterfall approach often leads to late discovery of issues; Agile's short feedback loops catch problems early. Agile trades predictability for adaptability.
§ 4 Agile Frameworks and Practices
Popular Agile frameworks include: * Scrum: The most widely used framework, organized around sprints, daily standups, and defined roles. * Kanban: Focuses on visualizing workflow, limiting work in progress, and continuous delivery. * Extreme Programming (XP): Emphasizes technical excellence with practices like pair programming, TDD, and continuous integration. * SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework): An enterprise-level framework for applying Agile at scale across large organizations.
§ 5 Common questions
- Q. Is Agile the same as Scrum?
- A. No. Agile is the philosophy and set of principles. Scrum is one specific framework for implementing Agile. All Scrum is Agile, but not all Agile is Scrum.
- Q. Can Agile work for non-software projects?
- A. Yes, but with caveats. Agile principles have been adapted for marketing, HR, and product management. The core idea of iterative delivery and customer feedback is broadly applicable.
- Q. Does Agile mean no documentation?
- A. No. Agile values working software over comprehensive documentation, but it does not eliminate documentation. It values just enough documentation to support the project.
- Agile is an iterative development philosophy that prioritizes flexibility and customer collaboration.
- It was formalized in the 2001 Agile Manifesto with 4 values and 12 principles.
- Scrum, Kanban, and XP are popular Agile frameworks, each with different approaches.
- Agile succeeds when teams embrace its principles, not just the ceremonies.
We run our projects using Agile methodologies. It means you see progress every two weeks and can change direction as your needs evolve. See our Web Development process or get in touch.
Get in touchAgile development is an iterative approach to software development that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, customer feedback, and small rapid releases over rigid planning and extensive documentation. It is guided by the Agile Manifesto's four values and twelve principles.
Category: General (also: Software Engineering, Business)
Author: Atomic Glue Technical Team
## Definition
Agile development is a philosophy and set of principles for software development that prioritizes iterative progress, collaboration, and responsiveness to change. It emerged in 2001 when 17 software developers published the Agile Manifesto, which values individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responding to change over rigid processes and documentation. Agile rejects the traditional waterfall model where each phase (requirements, design, implementation, testing) is completed sequentially. Instead, work is broken into small increments delivered in short cycles (typically 1-4 weeks). Each cycle produces a potentially shippable product increment. Agile is not a single methodology but an umbrella term for frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, and XP that implement its principles.
## The Agile Manifesto Values
The Manifesto for Agile Software Development established four core values: 1. **Individuals and interactions** over processes and tools. 2. **Working software** over comprehensive documentation. 3. **Customer collaboration** over contract negotiation. 4. **Responding to change** over following a plan. These are complemented by 12 principles including: deliver working software frequently (every few weeks), welcome changing requirements even late in development, business people and developers must work together daily, and at regular intervals the team reflects on how to become more effective.
## Agile vs Waterfall
The waterfall model follows a linear, sequential design process where each phase must be completed before the next begins. Agile is iterative and incremental. Waterfall works well for projects with fixed, well-understood requirements (like construction or manufacturing). Agile excels when requirements are uncertain or likely to change (most software projects). The waterfall approach often leads to late discovery of issues; Agile's short feedback loops catch problems early. Agile trades predictability for adaptability.
## Agile Frameworks and Practices
Popular Agile frameworks include: * **Scrum:** The most widely used framework, organized around sprints, daily standups, and defined roles. * **Kanban:** Focuses on visualizing workflow, limiting work in progress, and continuous delivery. * **Extreme Programming (XP):** Emphasizes technical excellence with practices like pair programming, TDD, and continuous integration. * **SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework):** An enterprise-level framework for applying Agile at scale across large organizations.
## Common questions
Q: Is Agile the same as Scrum?
A: No. Agile is the philosophy and set of principles. Scrum is one specific framework for implementing Agile. All Scrum is Agile, but not all Agile is Scrum.
Q: Can Agile work for non-software projects?
A: Yes, but with caveats. Agile principles have been adapted for marketing, HR, and product management. The core idea of iterative delivery and customer feedback is broadly applicable.
Q: Does Agile mean no documentation?
A: No. Agile values working software over comprehensive documentation, but it does not eliminate documentation. It values just enough documentation to support the project.
## Key takeaways
- Agile is an iterative development philosophy that prioritizes flexibility and customer collaboration.
- It was formalized in the 2001 Agile Manifesto with 4 values and 12 principles.
- Scrum, Kanban, and XP are popular Agile frameworks, each with different approaches.
- Agile succeeds when teams embrace its principles, not just the ceremonies.
## Related entries
- [Scrum](atomicglue.co/glossary/scrum)
- [Sprint](atomicglue.co/glossary/sprint)
- [Roadmap](atomicglue.co/glossary/roadmap)
- [Technical Debt](atomicglue.co/glossary/technical-debt)
Last updated July 2025. Permalink: atomicglue.co/glossary/agile-development