Yellow Agile Submarines — Discovering the Depths of Process Overload in the Agile Community

Reflecting on Agile’s Current State

Recently, I read a LinkedIn post by Maarten Dalmijn that caught my eye and got me thinking. The post challenged the Agile community’s rising infatuation with processes and jargon, introducing the notion of “Agile Release Trams” as an ironic nod to Agile Release Trains. Dalmijn’s post highlights a real issue for smaller organisations struggling with complicated Agile frameworks. It’s a wake-up call for our community, spotlighting the dilemma that demands a more in-depth exploration.

His post, interestingly enough, signed off with a teaser: “Up next: Yellow Agile Submarines.” This clever phrase encapsulates the growing problem in our Agile community — a proliferation of jargon and confusing processes often employed without adequate understanding. It is this very issue that I seek to delve deeper into as we examine the complexities of what I’m borrowing from him — “Yellow Agile Submarines”.

Agile’s Challenge: Jargon Overload

As Agile practitioners, we face a proliferating issue: an overflow of jargon, buzzwords and complex frameworks, often implemented without understanding. This dilemma, aptly termed “Yellow Agile Submarines,” risks…