Agile != Scrum

How Scrum left the Big Tech. Creating an Agile environment. Happy Thursday, developers! Last time we touched on what it means to implement Agile. Even though everyone is doing it, many of us aren't doing it right. We had some interesting reactions on Twitter: [Tweet from @rolandhesz] [Roland](%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Frolandhesz%2Fstatus%2F1559474645337837569%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=newsletter%26utm_campaign=HT/1/01010182d4cb1979-ae899487-597a-49c9-8e46-54b8225d9934-000000/MpBhACvp6EgdpHsgJoj-eV-oN_0=285) is entirely correct. The community collectively has prioritized tools and methodologies over principles. And our last newsletter should have been titled: Culture and people over job titles, tools, and methodologies. And we at [Codeanywhere](%2F%2Fcodeanywhere.com%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=newsletter%26utm_campaign=HT/1/01010182d4cb1979-ae899487-597a-49c9-8e46-54b8225d9934-000000/CMdLNRkwJMu1UWIZ6H9vurkJMlw=285) strongly believe in this! To quote Roland once more: Agile != Scrum. Project management is an enabler and not an end goal. This time we will look at how the industry implements the 1st principle of the [Agile Manifesto](%2F%2Fagilemanifesto.org%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=newsletter%26utm_campaign=HT/1/01010182d4cb1979-ae899487-597a-49c9-8e46-54b8225d9934-000000/W2tUwUx3dsrQsyyVHYb0kuu0r1w=285) — Individuals and interactions over processes and tools. Desk stories*** We love to hear from you about how and where you work from. This time we are featuring [Nayem](%2F%2Fnayemalam.com%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=newsletter%26utm_campaign=HT/1/01010182d4cb1979-ae899487-597a-49c9-8e46-54b8225d9934-000000/MKzK85iESUnGg1bGfy4Q2KPavK8=285), who is a developer, designer and speaker from Montreal. He was a Full Stack Web Developer at Ubisoft for the last two years. [Nayem's workspacež] 1. What is your favorite workspace item? Favourite workspace item is my monitor, I recently invested in a 34" ultrawide due to the nature of my work, and it has not disappointed. I can arrange all my windows in a nice manner and almost rarely turn my head. 2. Name one time-saving item/tool/app you use daily. I use Notion daily to manage several projects, timelines and organize my agenda. *** Do you have a great setup to share with us? Just hit reply and send us pictures of your desk! The Big Tech Apple, Amazon, Google and other Big Tech companies execute tech projects differently. Anecdotally, they mostly don't stick to a central methodology. Another difference is that engineers are the ones that lead projects, so a dedicated Project Manager is a hard-to-find role in Big Tech. A technical Project Manager will step in if there is a more extensive project with several teams. Project management methodologies are free to choose, so engineers can use the one that suits them, and the team, the best. What is the result? Software engineers and teams have higher autonomy, which gives them room to become problem solvers and not just assigned workers. These teams are autonomous and have a clear sense of ownership, with the vision and mission of the company in their minds and the skills to achieve it. Engineers in settings like this are more motivated, resulting in increased productivity and satisfaction. Furthermore, these companies are no strangers to sharing documentation, data and metrics with their employees. This also helps with building a sense of ownership and relationships. And having direct feedback contributes to better alignment and indirect project management. In a traditional company, it is not common for an entry-level employee to have contact with an executive - everything goes through their supervisors, and their supervisors, and their supervisors… The decisions are much slower, which cannot be the case in an agile company. In an Agile team, the focus is on Plan > Build > Ship. And do it quickly! As a result, the engineers are much more satisfied, less frustrated, and in most cases, have higher motivation. Should we ditch Scrum? The short answer is that it depends. :) The long answer is: that it can benefit the particular type of companies and teams. Scrum can be helpful within non-tech companies. Those where the business doesn't know how engineering works. Usually, these teams have everything thrown at them. Still, stakeholders are aware that a sprint cannot be interrupted, so with Scrum, they won't do it, thus giving room to engineers to continue working uninterrupted. Another positive use of Scrum is with newly formed teams with members that still don't know each other. Going with a well-documented methodology rather than everyone picking their style is a better start, especially if team members have conflicts or differences in opinions. Lastly, if a company wants to speed up shipping, it could be wise to implement Scrum. Around the Web - John Carmack is a legendary programmer, co-founder of id Software, and lead programmer of many revolutionary video games. [Check out what he says about the best programming setup and IDE.](%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv=tzr7hRXcwkw%26utm_medium=email%26utm_source=newsletter%26utm_campaign=HT/1/01010182d4cb1979-ae899487-597a-49c9-8e46-54b8225d9934-000000/fQTyR_Uydjp_NxyUcZlcPiczGyE=285) - Functional programming is spreading to new mainstream languages, so now is the perfect time to [start learning it](%2F%2Facm.wustl.edu%2Ffunctional%2Fwhyfp.php%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=newsletter%26utm_campaign=HT/1/01010182d4cb1979-ae899487-597a-49c9-8e46-54b8225d9934-000000/_bbaEicUMTf_dwT3A_kLBwic86E=285). Explore new ways to represent programs or approach problems. - Do you have a job interview coming up? [Check Interview Warmup](%2F%2Fgrow.google%2Fcertificates%2Finterview-warmup%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=newsletter%26utm_campaign=HT/1/01010182d4cb1979-ae899487-597a-49c9-8e46-54b8225d9934-000000/IAYAfCJ1FOMSaFlMg8GzqFWVpDE=285), an excellent and helpful way to prepare for your next interview. Good luck! Talk soon, Niko P.S. With [Codeanywhere](%2F%2Fcodeanywhere.com%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=newsletter%26utm_campaign=HT/2/01010182d4cb1979-ae899487-597a-49c9-8e46-54b8225d9934-000000/c0HcF6SYnXSUT6yc6RivF9I1rSY=285), you can use any machine and connect to it from the Dashboard [following these simple steps!](%2F%2Fdocs.codeanywhere.com%2Fdashboard%2Fconnections%2Fcreate-new-connection%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=newsletter%26utm_campaign=HT/1/01010182d4cb1979-ae899487-597a-49c9-8e46-54b8225d9934-000000/r1ta144UsUp9910DbqCjklCR1K0=285) -- This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you are subscribed to our newsletter. 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