Re:Agile Is Dead, McKinsey Just Killed It
by dragonwriter on Wednesday September 22, 2021 @10:28PM
(#28624623)
> My problem with all methodologies are the lack of coherent stakeholders on the business side.
For internal or contracted apps, there is usually a well-defined customer. There may be other stakeholders, too, but that first one is the key.
If the problem is getting them (or their representative, and not a dev side proxy, engaged, well, that's the problem you need to fix.)
“Agile” methodologies that try to sidestep this, e.g., by designating a IT org proxy are broken in the same way as “Marxist” methodologies that try to sidestep the requirement for mature capitalist development and proletarian class consciousness, e.g., via an privileged revolutionary vanguard.
> Product owners are a poor proxy at best but at least they're a definitive throat to choke when things go awry.
That's pretty much exactly what is not needed.
> Being told for the 20th engagement in a row that the right people for a conversation about a feature can't spare the time to be in the the room to workshop it or provide meaningful feedback (so why are you paying $300/hr for my time?) is de-motivating.
Sure, and if that is happening often then prioritization isn't fitting business priorities, even if it is fitting what business says are their priorities.
For internal or contracted apps, there is usually a well-defined customer. There may be other stakeholders, too, but that first one is the key.
If the problem is getting them (or their representative, and not a dev side proxy, engaged, well, that's the problem you need to fix.)
“Agile” methodologies that try to sidestep this, e.g., by designating a IT org proxy are broken in the same way as “Marxist” methodologies that try to sidestep the requirement for mature capitalist development and proletarian class consciousness, e.g., via an privileged revolutionary vanguard.
> Product owners are a poor proxy at best but at least they're a definitive throat to choke when things go awry.
That's pretty much exactly what is not needed.
> Being told for the 20th engagement in a row that the right people for a conversation about a feature can't spare the time to be in the the room to workshop it or provide meaningful feedback (so why are you paying $300/hr for my time?) is de-motivating.
Sure, and if that is happening often then prioritization isn't fitting business priorities, even if it is fitting what business says are their priorities.