More Effective Agile

by Steve McConnell

This new book from Steve McConnell, author of the software industry classic Code Complete , distills hundreds of companies’-worth of hard-won insights into an easy-to-read guide to the proven, modern Agile practices that work best.
In this comprehensive yet accessible overview for software leaders, McConnell presents an impactful, action-oriented prescription—covering the practical considerations needed to ensure you reap the full benefits of effective Whether you are a C-level executive, vice president, director, manager, technical leader, or coach, this no-nonsense reference seamlessly threads together traditional approaches, early Agile approaches, modern Agile approaches, and the principles and context that underlie them all—creating an invaluable resource for you, your teams, and your organization.

Genres: Software, Programming, Leadership, Management, Nonfiction, Business, Technical

Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve McConnell hit another home run. Most of his previous books have become classics in the field, and this book lives up to that pedigree. The book is part a survey of best practice books and articles, and part lived experience from several decades in the field. For those who have been practitioners for a long time, there will be many instances of strong resonance. For those newer to the field, read it, internalize it, practice it. There are many great books out there, but none surpasses this book for pithy wisdom that can be immediately put to work. As a bonus, there are many references to other great books in the field.

[Dmitry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone working on delivering software. This is a practical how to book. Almost everything seems obvious and logical, so why aren't we doing this? You don't need to be an agile adopter to see the value and benefit from the contents of this book.

[Scott Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve McConnell is one of the best writers about software practices in our generation. Over decades, each of his books pushes the field forward, and each new book updates his thought with oodles of new data. This book, an evidence-based look at Agile, is no exception. Agile has become a catch-all term for a lot of software practices, but McConnell recenters his study about Agile on what's most important in a business - getting results.

His book addresses many layers of an organization: teams, work, and organization-wide dynamics. Again, he's grounded not in the latest fads but in a historical approach to software development. In previous books, he's looked a bit wary of Agile methodologies, but this book represents a full embrace. He's no purist, though, in search of a universally applicable perfect form of Agile. He's focused on getting practical results for any business. That combination makes this book excellent.

I especially appreciate the bibliography at the end of each chapter and have found a few new books to add onto my reading list. Agile techniques have transformed the software industry, yet many elements remain incompletely adopted. McConnell seeks to complete the system so that the business can benefit fully from Agile's innovations. He wants to bring adoption rates even higher so that businesses will move from partial adoption to fuller implementation of Agile's benefits.

I recommend this book to anyone involved in leading software efforts or ambitious to lead such efforts in the future. Like the rest of McConnell's literary corpus, this book represents one of the key works that leaders should read in order to lead their businesses effectively. It should stand as a seminal work in the field for a generation and thus deserves attention by software leaders.

[Juram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good to learn things to design overall workflow