Kent Beck is behind much of what is associated with agile software development, including the JUnit testing framework and Extreme Programming. Kent was also one of the initial driving forces behind the use of design patterns in object-oriented programming. In a new interview, InfoQ editor Kurt Christensen asks Kent some questions on a variety of topics that are currently of interest to the agile community.
On doing agile "right," Kent had this to say:
The vagueness of the term agile can be a deterrent. Asking "Are we doing it right?" (or the more likely scenario - telling someone else "You're not doing it right!") is not a very valuable question. "Are we learning all we can?" and "What do we need to change to most benefit our company's goals?" have a lot more impact. If agility is a mindset, then measures of correctness don't really apply... What an agile expert would think of the process is far less important than how your process is working for your organization....and on the issue of whether or not the term "agile" is becoming just another buzzword:
I have always been concerned that the term "agile" is such a generically attractive word, it would be used by people who had no intention of accepting the substance of the ideas. Who wouldn't want to be agile? Words are easy; ideas that have value usually have responsibilities attached.
Read the InfoQ interview with Kent Beck.