The Agile Manifesto: Is it sacred?

2024-06-19

In repressive countries, you get used to seeing people claim something and then cite a sacred person or book to support their claim. The other party can argue that the sacred source has a different meaning than what the first person had in mind (long live hermeneutics!), but they can never question the sacred source itself. For your information, questioning those sources is punishable by DEATH in some countries right now!

The way many people talk about the Agile Manifesto reminds me of those sacred sources.

Many of the people who gathered around and wrote the manifesto were interesting people, and some were quite brilliant. However,

• they weren't omniscient, and
• the broader community, together with more than 20 years of practice and learning, MUST be able to come up with something better.

Considering the Agile Manifesto as sacred only blocks our creativity, progress, and individuality. Instead, take it as an inspiring resource created by a few enthusiastic people who wanted to pass the torch to you.

P.S. This is an adjusted version of a personal note from 2020. What's different from 2020 is that now we can be sure that the hype (peak of inflated expectations) is over. The manifesto is still sacred, but I think it will lose its sacredness in the next 5 to 20 years.

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