Why Being Agile Isn’t Enough
The Shift from Process to Problem-Solving
Have you ever wondered why some agile methodologies don’t always deliver the expected results? Despite their promises, many teams feel trapped in practices that fail to meet their expectations. But what if there were a way to go beyond these methodologies?
Lean and Agile have revolutionized how companies develop products, but they are not magic solutions. Many teams face challenges such as MVPs that don’t deliver value, inefficient processes, and roadmaps focused on the number of features rather than solving problems. The term MVP (Minimum Viable Product) has been distorted. Some teams spend months building it, only to discover it doesn’t solve a real problem—and that’s not agile at all. Building an effective MVP requires a mindset shift: less perfection, and more learning. Less agile method, more purpose.
How can you ensure your MVP fulfills its purpose?
Continuous Discovery: Understand customer needs and validate the solution before committing resources. Encourage your team to ask: Does anyone want this? Will users understand how to use it? Can we build it with our current resources? Does it align with strategic goals?
Radical Collaboration: Bring product, design, and engineering together from the start. Use methodologies like Design Thinking or Design Sprints to ensure solutions are feasible, desirable, and viable.
Measure Impact, Not Deliverables: Shift the focus from “What have we built?” to “What problem have we solved?” Use OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to align efforts with strategic goals.
Ultimately, the true power of agile methodologies lies not in following a playbook but in adapting them with purpose and a focus on the customer. Being agile is pointless if the product or service you’ve created doesn’t solve any problem.