Jan 18, 20236 min read

10/100 - Agile Project Management to Run Successful Software Projects

Updated: Nov 16

Agile Project Management to Run Successful Web3 Projects

Agile project management refers to the use of agile techniques and frameworks to manage projects. Agile methodologies are being increasingly used in web development, blockchain, cloud and any digital project. Agile project management has become increasingly popular in recent years, with statistics showing that over 90% of organizations now use Agile methodologies for their software development projects. While Agile may have originally gained traction in the software and tech industry, it is now being adopted by businesses across a wide range of sectors, as businesses strive to respond to ever-changing customer needs and desires.

In the previous blog we looked at the Role of a Blockchain/Web3 Project Manager. In this blog and the next set of blogs, we will deep dive into understanding 'Agile Frameworks'.

What is Agile?
The Agile Manifesto
Agile Values
Agile Principles
Agile Project management Frameworks
The Benefits of Agile Project Management
Agile Implementation

What is Agile?

Agile is a project management approach for implementing software projects. Agile focuses on incorporating rapid iteration, small deliverables and team feedback into the workflow of developing software. Agile teams are characterized by close collaboration between project teams, stakeholders and customers for increased transparency throughout the process for better results.

Definition

'Agile is a term used to describe a mindset or a way of building software products, driven by 4 values & 12 principles as set forth by Agile Manifesto'.

The Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto was created and signed in February 2001 by a group of 17 software developers who were unhappy with the way software projects were being managed. They felt that the waterfall methodology, which was popular at the time, was too rigid and did not allow for changes or updates to the project plans and requirements.

The Agile manifesto consists of 4 values and 12 principles.

Agile Values

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
Working software over comprehensive documentation.
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
Responding to change over following a plan.

Agile Principles

Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.
Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
Working software is the primary measure of progress.
Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential.
Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes its behavior accordingly

One of the key values of Agile is adaptation to change, and this is reflected throughout all aspects of Agile project management. Team members must be willing to communicate openly and work together to achieve common goals. Agile project management focusses on continuous improvement and allows for changes to be made to projects as they progress in an empirical way. Agile project management allows for a more flexible, adaptive, and collaborative approach to software development.

There are several Agile frameworks that teams can use, notable among them at team level are Scrum and Kanban. Each framework has its own set of principles, values, and methods, and choosing the right one will depend on your specific business context, project needs, nature of work and team capabilities. However, regardless of the approach you take, Agile is all about being flexible and adaptive to change.

Agile Project Management Frameworks

Agile project management is an iterative and incremental process that helps teams to respond to change quickly. As the web3 space is evolving at a rapid pace, agile methodologies offer the right set of tools and techniques to drive projects. Agile delivers working software quickly and meets the customer’s needs better as they are made part of the development process. There are many Agile frameworks, but the most popular ones are Scrum and Kanban.

Scrum

Scrum is a framework for Agile project management that is used by teams of developers. It is a very popular methodology and has been around for over 25 years. It is a lightweight framework; it consists of a Scrum Team, which includes a Product Owner, a Scrum Master, and Developers. Each of these roles is responsible for a unique set of responsibilities. The Scrum Team is responsible for producing three artefacts and participating in five events.

Co-creators of Scrum Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland authored and continue to maintain The Scrum Guide, which provides a concise and comprehensible explanation of Scrum. The definition of Scrum, as well as a description of its accountabilities, events, and artefacts, as well as the guidance can be found in the Scrum Guide.

Kanban

Kanban is another Agile project management framework and much lighter than Scrum. Kanban focuses on Work in Progress (WIP) limits and visualizing work. WIP limits help to keep teams focused on one task at a time and prevents multitasking. Visualizing work helps to identify bottlenecks in the process. Teams use Kanban boards to visualize and manage their work. Kanban focuses more on flexibility and continuous delivery in DevOps teams.

Agile project management focuses on value-based delivery and collaboration between the customer and the development team. Agile development teams work in short cycles, called sprints, to deliver small increments of functionality to the customer. The goal is to deliver working software that meets the customer’s needs as early as possible.

There are many other scaled agile frameworks which work with multiple teams working on large projects. They would be discussed later and out of current topic.

What is Agile? What is Agile Methodology? — Source - Freepik

The benefits of Agile Project Management

Agile methodology helps in faster delivery of the product and reduced time to market. The complete project work is divided into small cycles called sprints which continuously deliver value.
It helps in better utilization of resources as only the required resources are allocated for the project at any given time and work is distributed accordingly.
The customer gets a chance to see the product early on and provide feedback which helps in making changes accordingly. Increased customer satisfaction as features are delivered early and often.
Since Agile is a flexible methodology, it can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the organization or team.
Timely communication of information among all the stakeholders involved in the project.
Agile leads to better quality products as it allows for continuous testing and improvement.
Agile encourages collaboration and teamwork which leads to better productivity and creativity.
It helps in risk management as it allows for course correction during the course of the project.
Agile is cost effective as it does not require heavy investments in terms of technology or resources upfront
Overall, agile project management brings about many benefits for organizations, businesses, and team members alike

Agile Implementation

Agile development can be implemented in several ways, but the most important aspect is to have the buy-in and support of the entire team. Here are a few tips for getting started:

Make sure everyone understands the Agile methodology and the goals of Agile development.
Have a kickoff meeting to discuss the Agile process and how it will work for your team.
Set up regular meetings to track progress and ensure everyone is on track.
Celebrate successes the way!

Conclusion

Agile project management is a successful way of driving web3 projects that can be implemented by tailoring to the needs of your team and project requirements. We have seen agile manifesto and the 4 values and 12 principles of agile. Benefits of agile are discussed and the advantages of agile project management. Scrum and Kanban are the two popular agile frameworks. By using agile methodologies and having the buy-in and support of your team, you're on your way to achieving project and program success.