Larry Constantine defines the setting for this chapter in Methodological Agility by stating that managers need to understand not only the league leaders like the Unified Process but also its agile competitors. These competitors include processes such as Extreme Programming (XP) (Beck, 2000), Adaptive Software Development (ASD) (Highsmith, 2000), Dynamic System Development Methodology (DSDM) (Stapleton, 1997), and Agile Modeling (Ambler, 2002). Instead of the prescriptive approach favored by the Unified Process, he notes that philosophy is also a critical component of nearly all the agile methods. The general rules of the agile game are relatively simple:

• Work in short release cycles.

• Do only what is needed, without embellishment.

• Don t waste time.

• Describe the problem simply in terms of small, distinct pieces, then implement these pieces in successive iterations.

• Develop a reliable system by building and testing with immediate feedback.

• Start with something small and simple that works, then elaborate on successive iterations.

• Maintain tight communication with clients and among programmers.

• Test every piece in itself and regression-test continuously.

Constantine believes that these rules are easier to learn and master than the Unified Process. He also explores the potential benefits of agile software processes, such as early results, reduced overhead, and more reliable code. He points out that tales of success far outnumber sob stories, of course, at least for well-trained teams working on appropriately focused projects. To be successful at agile software processes Constantine believes that not only do you need skilled and speedy...