Working agile: where eagles dare

Experiences on Development software within agile methodologies. What worked, what didn't and what I haven't figured out yet.

This is a review of the different approaches to agile methodologies I have encountered through the years and in many projects. The way we did things and the way we bent agile to fit into whatever processes the company had undergone. It is a practical review of agile methodologies used in real life scenarios, specifically in Drupal development environments.

I have used agile methodologies for the last four years in teams of up to 20 developers with different results. Those experiences shaped my own approach to project/development management that I will share in this talk. I will challenge many of the agile concepts, redefining them within a common sense framework, outside from typical mantra trainings.

• Rituals: which rituals are useful and which ones are not (possibly the most useful feature of agile)
• Estimations: how to estimate any work (regardless what everyone else says)
• Commitment: possibly the most important concept in agile and forgotten by almost everyone I know
• Planning: how to plan development work effectively and reliably
• Taboo words: this will address a extended attitude "we are agile but do not mention blah"
• Technical debt and quality: how to deliver quality work with agile planning and shifting specifications