Agile in the Mainstream

Agile in the Mainstream - August 2011

In agile, we encourage change. And, we certainly have change, now. In light of SQE’s acquisition of the Agile Journal earlier this year, we are changing our approach to the Agile Journal, aligning it more with our other communities. Part of that shift is initiating a more rigorous editing process and instead of one person doing it all, as our very own agile buddy Russell Pannone did, the work will be split between several people. I'll be working as the technical editor for the Agile Journal and copyediting and production work will be done by others, but no one could possibly fill Russell's shoes. He deserves our recognition and gratitude—thank you, Russell.

The topic for this month is Agile in the Mainstream. We have "Pair Programming in the Clink" by Daryl Kulak, a fascinating look at what happens when you volunteer to pair program in prison for a day. I read this article, and kept saying, "Wow, wow, wow."

I certainly agree with Len Whitmore's conclusions about "Agile Leadership for Mid-managers." But, what do you think?

In the "Plight of Product Owners in Medium and Large Organizations," Anupam Kundu highlights problems we've seen when organizations transition from one kind of organization to another. Have you lived through this transition? Have you seen it?

Delivering high-valued product needs is a goal on most if not all projects. Meeting this goal requires strong business analysis skills—a role not defined on Scrum teams. In "It's the Goal, Not the Role," Ellen Gottesdiener and Mary Gorman explain how to get your analysis needs met on these agile projects.

And, finally, teams testing the agile waters usually aren't in a position to hire a full-time ScrumMaster. But this role is essential to successful Scrum projects. In "Mission Possible: ScrumMaster and Technical Contributor," Steve Berczuk identifies some common issues teams face when trying to combine the responsibilities of a ScrumMaster with another role.

I hope you enjoy this month's Agile Journal.

And, again, I thank Russell for his years of devotion to the Agile Journal. Without you, Russell, we would not have the opportunity for change.

Johanna Rothman
Technical Editor
Agile Journal