How do you adapt agile product development to different domains?

2 Choose the right agile framework

The second step to adapt agile product development to different domains is to choose the right agile framework that suits your domain and your product vision. There are many agile frameworks available, such as Scrum, Kanban, Lean, XP, SAFe, or DSDM. Each framework has its own strengths, weaknesses, and assumptions. For example, Scrum is a popular framework for software development that emphasizes time-boxed iterations, cross-functional teams, and frequent delivery. Kanban is a flexible framework for managing workflow that focuses on visualizing work, limiting work in progress, and optimizing flow. Lean is a philosophy for eliminating waste and maximizing value that applies to any domain. XP is a set of practices for software development that emphasizes quality, collaboration, and feedback. SAFe is a scaled framework for large and complex systems that aligns multiple agile teams and levels. DSDM is a comprehensive framework for delivering projects that covers the entire lifecycle and addresses governance, quality, and risk. By choosing the right agile framework, you can leverage the best practices and tools that fit your domain and your product vision.

4 Align the agile values

The fourth step to adapt agile product development to different domains is to align the agile values that guide your agile product development culture. Agile values are the underlying principles and beliefs that motivate and inspire your agile product development team. For example, some common agile values are customer satisfaction, collaboration, responsiveness, simplicity, quality, or transparency. However, not every value is equally important or relevant for every domain or every product. For example, customer satisfaction may be more critical for service products than for hardware products. Collaboration may be more challenging for large and complex systems than for small and simple products. Responsiveness may be more risky for social impact products than for software products. Simplicity may be more difficult for hardware products than for software products. Quality may be more costly for software products than for hardware products. Transparency may be more sensitive for regulated systems than for open source products. By aligning the agile values, you can foster a positive and productive agile product development culture that supports your domain and your product goals.

5 Learn and improve

The fifth step to adapt agile product development to different domains is to learn and improve your agile product development approach continuously. Agile product development is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but a dynamic and evolving process that requires constant experimentation, evaluation, and adaptation. By learning and improving, you can discover what works and what doesn't work for your domain and your product, and make the necessary adjustments to optimize your agile product development performance. Some ways to learn and improve are to measure your agile product development outcomes, collect feedback from your customers and stakeholders, conduct retrospectives with your agile product development team, and benchmark your agile product development practices with other domains and products. By learning and improving, you can ensure that your agile product development approach remains relevant, effective, and valuable for your domain and your product.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?