Methodologies like Agile are just tools. The fundamental principle is creating a feedback mechanism for error correction. Instead of dogmatically following a framework, leaders should choose a system that provides the right frequency of feedback and adjustment for their specific project.
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For leaders overwhelmed by AI, a practical first step is to apply a lean startup methodology. Mobilize a bright, cross-functional team, encourage rapid, messy iteration without fear, and systematically document failures to enhance what works. This approach prioritizes learning and adaptability over a perfect initial plan.
As articulated by Eric Ries in 'The Lean Startup,' raw speed of shipping is meaningless if you're building in the wrong direction. The true measure of progress is how quickly a team can validate assumptions and learn what customers want, which prevents costly rework.
To move beyond static playbooks, treat your team's ways of working (e.g., meetings, frameworks) as a product. Define the problem they solve, for whom, and what success looks like. This approach allows for public reflection and iterative improvement based on whether the process is achieving its goal.
Scheduled critiques create bottlenecks and encourage performative feedback. A better model is to empower designers with ownership, letting them decide when to seek input. This "organic grit" model values velocity and makes feedback a tool, not a ritual.
True agility isn't just about sprints; it's psychological. By breaking massive projects into minimal viable products (MVPs) or small features, the team creates a steady stream of "quick wins." This builds a sense of progress and happiness—a "dopamine type of reward"—that keeps the wheel of innovation turning and prevents teams from getting bogged down.
Instead of over-analyzing and philosophizing about process improvements, simply force the team to increase its cadence and ship faster. This discomfort forces quicker, more natural problem-solving, causing many underlying inefficiencies to self-correct without needing a formal change initiative.
Out of ten principles, the most crucial are solving real user needs, releasing value in slices for quick feedback, and simplifying to avoid dependencies. These directly address the greatest wastes of development capacity: building unwanted features and getting stalled by others.
The "just keep iterating" mindset, popularized by Lean Startup and Agile, is dangerous without a clear vision acting as a filter. It encourages a "throw things at the wall" approach, resulting in "pivotitis" (constant, aimless pivoting) and a lack of meaningful, long-term progress.
The popular tech mantra is incomplete. Moving fast is valuable only when paired with rapid learning from what breaks. Without a structured process for analyzing failures, 'moving fast' devolves into directionless, costly activity that burns out talent and capital without making progress, like a Tasmanian devil.
Executives crave predictability, which feels at odds with agile discovery. Bridge this gap by making your learning visible. A simple weekly update on tested assumptions, evidence found, and resulting decisions provides a rhythm of progress that satisfies their need for oversight without resorting to rigid plans.
