EDITORIAL

* * *    A TERRIFIC CELEBRATION    * * *

We cannot think of a better time to launch agile-thoughts: the 20^th Anniversary of the Agile Manifesto.

Although some schools of thought, management methods and lightweight technical practices started in the late 80s and 90s, many of us believe the movement called Agile began with the creation of the Agile Manifesto. It is amazing what can be achieved when a group of people get together to seek solutions for specific challenges.

“There might be a better way to build software” was the claim that attracted 17 pioneers in the software development world 20 years ago. Although each of them has their own version of what happened on a weekend of February 2001 in Utah, there is one thing they agree on: none of them thought that the resulting document would become a worldwide trend, strong and versatile enough to permeate areas outside Information Technology, a whole spectrum of industries and virtually any activity that involves groups of people and creative work.

Many of us have seen the benefits that an Agile mindset –as well as practices under that umbrella– bring to individuals, teams, organizations and customers. Basically, it produces magic. There is no one right way to do it and that is what makes it magical –and challenging at the same time. Only with experience and sharp skills, can we recognize when it is wrong.

Most of what great Agilists know was learned through others’ experiences: exceptional mentors, outstanding events, remarkable papers/readings and meaningful connections. Unfortunately, most people do not have access to all of these experiences.

That is when leveraging others’ stories and the power of a community come into play.

We do not intend to be descriptive or present a collection of frameworks and methods. The Internet has plenty of them –although with a great percentage of unfiltered, unregulated and sometimes misleading content.

Rather than being a technical manual filled with jargon, we tend to be lite while bringing understandable, useful tools translatable from one industry to the next.

We strive to evoke and honor the spirit, values and principles behind Agile through the thoughts, insights and experiences of passionate Agilists, pioneers and leaders in the field.

In this difficult time for everyone around the world, we are confident that agile-thoughts can make a positive impact on small businesses, entrepreneurs, non-profits and large organizations who are struggling to remain competitive –or even to survive.

We wish to express our gratitude to the authors of this edition:

• Alistair Cockburn who, for years, has been an inspiration and a role model for many of us –from both a personal and a professional perspective.
• Julie Bright, Ardita Karaj and Deepti Jain, who clearly represent the power of women in the world.
• Kevlin Henney, John Hovell and Mark Wave, who have always enlightened the room with their talks.