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by __pache__ 1041 days ago
Huh? Why don't lots of successful open source softwares run on agile, then?

Pretty sure having motivated people who find the work kinda fun destroys agile/any other methodology. When people wake up excited to pull down tickets or just get shit done, you're doing business right.
2 comments
azangru 1040 days ago
> Huh? Why don't lots of successful open source softwares run on agile, then?

What open-source projects in particular do you have in mind? And what do they run on, exactly? And what would this model look like if transplanted into a business setting?

I can see some aspects of agile project management in open-source projects. One, transparency/visibility. Two, working software over documentation. Three, customer feedback. In fact, some large open-source projects have introduced channels for early interactions with customers (i.e. developers) — for example, the RFCs initiatives of React or Lit, or community engagement in various html or css work groups.

I do not know how well developers on open-source projects coordinate/communicate between each other. Or how work gets prioritised. I've certainly seen a fair number of failures in that aspect of open-source projects.

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__pache__ 1040 days ago
Any open source project? Typically people work on what they care about or what is obviously needed. Go with that flow instead of against it. Hire people eager to contribute.

Everything else seems incidental

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BarryMilo 1040 days ago
Eagerness doesn't scale.
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__pache__ 1040 days ago
Yeah talking about small teams.
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BarryMilo 1040 days ago
We could get into a semantic argument about what "lots" means. But open source is very much a corporate thing now, and lots of dev companies do indeed have an agile-inspired workflow at least.

Re: that fun thing, yes, but most projects aren't fun on a daily basis.

In any case, what I originally meant was that agile is not perfect, but if you've seen startups who don't know any development workflow (ie neither agile nor cascade), software dev grinds to a halt really quickly as they try to reinvent an entire field of management.

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__pache__ 1040 days ago
Disagree, I guess. Agile is worse than nothing.

Treat it like a normal job. Often no "management" is needed. Get done what you can, talk to you tomorrow.

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