It has been a great year for agile topics on Opensource.com. As we approach the end of 2019, reviewed our top agile-related articles, as read by you, our readers!
Small Scale Scrum guide
Opensource.com's six-part guide to Small Scale Scrum (which I helped co-author) advises smaller teams on how to bring agile into their work. The traditional scrum framework outlined in the official Scrum Guide recommends a minimum of three people for the framework to realize its full potential. However, it provides no guidance for how teams of one or two people can follow scrum successfully. Our six-part series aims to formalize Small Scale Scrum and examines our experience with it in the real world. The series was received very warmly by our readers—so much such that the six individual articles comprise 60% of our Top 10 list. So, if you haven't already, make sure to download them from our Introduction to Small Scale Scrum page.
A comprehensive guide to agile project management
Teams following traditional project management approaches, initially skeptical about agile, have warmed up to the agile way of working. Now agile has reached acceptance, and a more flexible, hybrid style has found a home. A comprehensive guide to agile project management by Matt Shealy covers 12 guiding principles of agile project management and is perfect for traditional project managers looking to bring some agility to their projects.
4 steps to becoming an awesome agile developer
A DevOps culture has emerged in many modern software teams that embrace agile software development principles that leverage cutting-edge tooling and automation. But this mechanically agile approach does not guarantee that developers are following agile practices in their day-to-day work. In 4 steps to becoming an awesome agile developer, Daniel Oh gives great tips for increasing your agility by focusing on design thinking, using predictable approaches, putting quality at the center, and continuously learning and exploring. Complementing these methods with your agile tooling will create very flexible and strong agile developers.
Scrum vs. kanban: Which agile framework is better?
Scrum and kanban are two of the most popular approaches for teams running in an agile manner, and in Scrum vs. kanban: Which agile framework is better? Taz Brown explores the history and purpose of both. While reading this article, a great saying came to my mind: "If the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." Knowing when to use kanban and when to use scrum is important, and this article helps show that both have a place, depending on your team, your challenge, and your goals.
4 ways developers can have a say in what agile looks like
Developers often have a fear of having a workstyle imposed upon them when the topic of adopting agile comes up. In 4 ways developers can have a say in what agile looks like, Clément Verna looks at ways that developers can flip that narrative by helping to determine what agile looks like on their team. Examining the origins and the basics of agile is a great starting point, but the real value is in having metrics to help guide your journey. Knowing what challenges you can expect to have will give you a firm ground to move forward. And making decisions empirically not only empowers teams but gives them a sense of ownership of the journey. Verna's article also examines the importance of putting people over processes and working as a team to achieve your goals.
Agile now and later
This year, Opensource.com authors created a lot of discussion around agile's past, present, and what it may look like in the future. Thank you to all of them, and be sure to share your own agile story here in 2020.
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