Inclusive Agile: Extending the Reach of the Manifesto

Vrash
Carwow Product, Design & Engineering
2 min readJun 9, 2023

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I recently encountered an intriguing audience question at the CTOCraftCon Agile panel talk. It went something like this:

“The original Agile manifesto was written by the least diverse group you can imagine. What could be a new approach that leverages diversity better?”

The question was insightful, with some excellent answers on stage. But it got me thinking: Are we missing an opportunity to embed a D&I focus into the Manifesto?

What is the Agile Manifesto?

The Agile Manifesto outlines Agile software development core values and principles. They guide Agile teams to deliver high-quality software flexibly and responsively.

courtesy: https://agilemanifesto.org/

The twelve principles provide further guidance on practicing the four core values.

Embedding inclusivity into the Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto has revolutionised the way teams approach software development. But, it’s crucial to acknowledge that diversity and inclusion were not at the forefront of discussions when the Manifesto was drafted. Can we add an element to the Manifesto to highlight the need for inclusivity in Agile? To represent diverse perspectives and experiences?

Making the focus explicit

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Vrash
Carwow Product, Design & Engineering

Director of engineering @checkatrade. Neurodivergent engineering leader. I don’t take life too seriously. Ex-carwow/Amazon/Startups. All opinions own