Agile modeling

Some keyphrases from the book “Agile Modeling”, Scott W. Ambler, 2002

This book is not how to model, but how to model in agile enviroments.

Agile Modeling Values

  • Communication
  • Simplicity
  • Feedback
  • Courage
  • Humility

Principles

  1. Software is your primary goal
  2. Enabling the next effort is your secondary goal
  3. Travel light
  4. Assume simplicity
  5. Enable change
  6. Incremental change
  7. model with purpose
  8. Multiple models
  9. Quality work
  10. Maximize stakeholder investment
  11. Conent is more important than representation
  12. Everyone can learn from everyone else
  13. Know your models
  14. Local adaptation
  15. Open and honest communication
  16. Work with people’s instincts

Practices

  1. Iterative and Incremental Modeling
    • Apply the right artifacts
    • Create Several models
    • Iterate to Another Artifact
    • Model in small increments
  2. Teamwork
    • Model with Others
    • Active stakeholder participation
    • Collective Ownership
    • Display Models Publicly
  3. Simplicity
    • Create Simple Content
    • Depict Models Simply
    • Use the Simplest Tools
  4. Validation
    • Consider Testability
    • Prove it With Code
  5. Productivity
    • Apply Modeling Standards
    • Apply Patterns Gently
    • Reuse Existing Resources
  6. Documentation
    • Discard Temporary Models
    • Formalize Contract Models
    • Update only when It Hurts
  7. Motivation
    • Model to Communicate
    • Model to Understand

Chaos and Order: Chaordic

Dee Hock (1999) founder of VISA, provides the following definition for the term chaordic:

The mix of chaos and order is often described as a harmonious coexistence displaying characteristics of both, with neither chaotic nor ordered behavior dominating. Some[who?] hold that nature is largely organized in such a manner; in particular, living organisms and the evolutionary process by which they arose are often described as chaordic in nature. The chaordic principles have also been used as guidelines for creating human organizations — business, nonprofit, government and hybrids—that would be neither centralized nor anarchical networks.

A nice one

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

-Unknown

Agile Work Areas

You realy need a whiteboard.

Recognize That There Is No “I” in Agile

 Thoughts

I have to read Beck’s book on XP and Cohn’s User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development.

How the cost works with agile? How I can predict the duration of the project if the stakeholder can change user stories for ever driving dev-team to endless refactorings. Or I have got this worng?