We are used to living with the plans and processes to make the complex things easier to follow and accessible to a wide group. It is common to build and standardize the process. Examples from a simple hand washing process to the medical examination process, and processes for discovering new processes.

That’s why when we learn to start a software project you will see the legendary Waterfall model. Waterfall represents the development life cycle of a typical software project. From the perspective of a software developer, we can treat it as an overall steps to take, the jobs to do when participate in the software development process.

What makes Waterfal the traditional methodology and Agile the modern way of development? The popular answer is that Waterfall is suitable for projects with clear requirements that come mainly from the customer businesses, while Agile is suitable for the new economy that moves aggressively where the customers have to get rid and change.

That is the common analysis when people choose Agile and mention Waterfall as a legacy model.

When we learn Agile, the internet is full of misinformation around Agile such as these terms: model, framework, process, methodology… The definitions are a bit ambiguous, as people usually define as they see it.

I am no exception! So I feel and understand myself from my point of view:

• Framework: A collection of specific practises and ideas that have been proven useful in a specific context that teams can use as a basis to create their own methodology.
• Methodology: Techniques, procedures, working concepts and rules how to solve a problem.
• Model: A representation and simplification of reality developed to convey information to a specific audience to support analysis, communication and understanding.
• Approach: Specific values and principles in the way of working a team chooses in a specific context to reach a goal.

This helps me have a clearer view to avoid bringing Waterfall bias experience to avoid imposing when learning Agile. IMO, when mentioning Waterfall, it’s over the process while Agile is over the mindset.

The important thing about Agile is not Do Agile, it is Be Agile, then Agile is not a noun, it is an adjective. Following the official Agile Manifesto or some popular Agile books, you will relize that there are no guides or practices. In the book “Practices of an Agile Developer” by Venkat Subramaniam and Andy Hunt, “Agile development uses feedback to make constant adjustments in a highly collaborative environment”. Or the the book “Agile Estimating and Planning”, “Agile Processes acknowledge the unique strengths (and weaknesses) of individuals and capitalize on these rather than attempting to make everyone homogenous”

I wouldn’t use Agile the way I use Waterfall! They deal with different problems and view from different perspective.

My Agile enlightenment is about treating Agile as a mindset.