Agile Principle 8: “Agile Processes Promote Sustainable Development. The Sponsors, Developers, and Users Should Be Able to Maintain a Constant Pace Indefinitely”

Delivering valuable software frequently is the name of the game. Process matters because done right and done well, it generates valuable outcomes. A constant pace requires high levels of effective communication among all the key participants. Where there is speed, there will be risk. You as the leader cannot allow the pace to create unacceptable risk. Vignettes from leaders at Oracle and Nokia illustrate the challenge of sustainable development delivered at a constant pace. Sustainable development at a pace sufficient to satisfy your customer comes with risk. Requirements, and the problems that the team is tasked with solving, must be carefully and clearly framed, or you risk wasting time and effort. There is risk that your development team will sacrifice quality for speed. Progress toward a valuable goal is different than progress for the sake of progress. Leaders overcome these challenges by framing the problems clearly at the beginning of the development process and ensuring that the development team and the business owner remain aligned on making valuable progress.