Agile Manifesto Explained: 12 Principles of the Agile Manifesto

The Manifesto for Agile Software Development is a document drafted in 2001 by a group of software developers. The manifesto—consisting of four values and twelve principles—proposed a new, simplified way of developing software that prioritized efficiency, versatility, and customer feedback. The authors of the Agile Manifesto introduced a philosophy of working on software that was more streamlined and able to adapt to new trends and innovations, making the entire process more agile.

The Agile Manifesto was in part a response to the waterfall method of software development, which was a breakdown of project activities into a linear sequence of phases. Each phase relied on completing the step before it, making the entire process rigid and inflexible. Critics of the waterfall methodology also took issue with the extensive documentation required in each stage, which they argued delayed the process and hindered functionality.

In 2001, seventeen software developers and programmers met at the Snowbird resort in Utah to draft the Agile Manifesto. The signatories included Kent Beck, Mike Beedle, Arie van Bennekum, Alistair Cockburn, Ward Cunningham, Martin Fowler, James Grenning, Jim Highsmith, Andrew Hunt, Ron Jeffries, Jon Kern, Brian Marick, Robert C. Martin, Steve Mellor, Ken Schwaber, Jeff Sutherland, and Dave Thomas.

The document declared a new philosophy uniting software development frameworks like Scrum, Extreme Programming, and Feature-Driven Development (FDD). These frameworks were themselves departures from unyielding development methods and are considered lightweight methodologies—as opposed to the complex and rule-driven ones preceding them.

Before the creators of the Agile Manifesto codified the core values of lightweight software development, software projects were often delivered after they had already become outdated. Clients were becoming dissatisfied with their information technology departments, partly because what they requested did not always align with their actual business needs. An essential part of the Agile framework was to give more agency and control to the teams of developers, rather than restrict them to a set of guidelines that may be unusable or irrelevant.

Industries have also adopted Agile project management outside of software development. These include manufacturing computers (hardware), medical devices, food, clothing, and music. Some of the broader Agile development concepts also apply to business management in strategy building, risk management, and team engagement. Any industry can mold the principles of Agile software development to suit values meeting customer needs, frequent delivery, and delivering quality products.

The central thesis of the declaration was that the software development process should deliver faster results tailored to the customer and be able to respond to change efficiently. The four values of the Agile Manifesto are:

1. 1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools: Agile software development places value in face-to-face interactions and collaboration. Processes and tools are still useful, but only to the extent that they help Agile teams rather than obstruct and distract.
2. 2. Working software over comprehensive documentation: The waterfall approach demanded substantial documentation, sometimes even before the actual building of the software. Things like features, specifications, layouts, and requirements needed documentation long before their application, significantly delaying the actual project rollout.
3. 3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation: The Agile Manifesto seeks to focus on the end user’s evolving needs rather than strict adherence to the details of the contract. Keeping the customer involved with the project throughout the development process lets them provide feedback before completion, helping to reduce last-minute changes.
4. 4. Responding to change over following a plan: Traditional software development methods involved making detailed plans in the planning stage, then following them through the project. Agile values favor an adaptive approach that responds to new opportunities or obstacles, providing additional value to the product.

The drafters of the manifesto detailed twelve Agile principles for Agile software development teams to follow. The Agile methodology includes these principles:

1. 1. Customer satisfaction: The highest priority of the manifesto is to satisfy the customer through all stages of delivery.
2. 2. Embracing changes: Agile processes welcome change at any point in the development to serve the customer.
3. 3. Speedy delivery: The manifesto outlines frequent software delivery, ideally within a shorter timescale.
4. 4. Collaboration: The Agile Manifesto promotes collaboration between business people and developers.
5. 5. Empowerment: The manifesto aims to empower motivated individuals and support completing projects.
6. 6. Effective communication: The drafters of the manifesto believe face-to-face conversation is the optimal method for conveying information.
7. 7. Good metrics: The primary measure of progress is working software.
8. 8. Steadiness: The drafters outline that Agile processes should be sustainable and that developers and users should maintain a constant pace.
9. 9. Operational excellence: Attention to detail and good design enhance the processes.
10. 10. Simplicity: The manifesto states that simplicity is “the art of maximizing the amount of work not done.”
11. 11. Self-organization: The manifesto states that self-organizing teams produce the best designs.
12. 12. Continuous improvements: The drafters of the manifesto outline the need for teams to meet at regular intervals to reflect on the work.

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