Startups are fast-moving and constantly evolving entities and their ultimate goals change with time. Startups need to build customized software solutions so that they can streamline all their complex business processes.
In such a volatile environment, they need to adopt a development methodology that has
the potential to structure, plan, and control the process of developing software solutions for enhancing the reach of their business. Most of the startup entrepreneurs take help of an experienced custom software solution provider that guides them in developing custom software to help scale the business.
Agile methods are ideal for startups because they focus on setting and achieving short term goals, getting fast outcomes, and then modifying the strategy accordingly. This methodology is based on iterative development that facilitates the rapid development of high-quality software solutions for startups.
But the question here is Agile Methodology still a good option for startups and if yes, then why? Let’s explore the answer in the article by taking a look at why Agile Methodology is beneficial for startups in this competitive marketplace.
Adapts In Accordance With The Organizational Change
Agile methodology is highly compatible with the dynamic environment of startups where business processes and objectives change with time. The iterative development helps in managing the changing requirements of the projects.
This methodology allows both the customers and the stakeholders to gain feedback on the latest iterations and incorporate new features sooner than later. Stakeholders are free to modify the specific needs and features as well as they can add new ones that can be quickly taken further by the development team.
Development teams are constantly in the loop and they tend to take risks in accordance with the fluctuating requirements of the clients. By adapting quickly to the changes Agile methodology help startups in saving a lot of their time and resources so that they can sustain in the market and evolve with time.
Encourages Individual Interaction Over Processes & Tools
One of the most significant factors on which Agile methodology relies is its stand-ups or meetings. The sole motive is to create a harmonious work environment that values people working on a project and the communication between and among them.
Every team member of the development team has to be prepared with answer to these three questions:
- What have you achieved since the last meeting?
- What are you currently working on until the next meeting?
- Is there something that is getting in your way of doing your job efficiently?
The answers to these questions clarify the scope of the project and explicitly describe everyone’s individual role in it. Every member is well aware of what their job exactly is.
This eliminates the chance of any sort of duplication of work or miscommunication among the team members.
Especially in startups, this process makes sure that there is an effective flow of communication among the development team members that help them in delivering high-quality software solutions to their clients within a short span of time.
Inculcates The Culture Of Working Cohesively With Team Spirit
Agile methodology encourages teams to discuss the ongoing projects with their peers on a regular basis. It ensures that the team members are constantly tracking the project and collectively striving hard to keep it on schedule. Working cohesively promotes the spirit of teamwork and encourages team members to work more efficiently.
This team spirit further allows the peers to find out their own strengths and weaknesses and collectively decide the role that optimally utilizes their expertise and skills. In such a harmonious work environment the leaders find the right space to take things ahead while other members get the right support that they need.
For startups, the spirit of teamwork results in better utilization of opportunities at hand and lesser wastage of resources, which is important and help them in increasing their overall productivity.
Agile Development Enhances Quality
It is an obvious fact that the core focus of the Agile development process is to boost the overall quality of the software. In this process, cross-functional teams work together in order to eliminate bottlenecks through constant communication.
The programmers are highly dependent on the quick feedback from the stakeholders for requirements and not on the formal documents prepared months ago. The Agile process works with a sense of immediacy and dynamism.
The teams involved in the Agile development use artifacts like DoD – The Definition of Done, to evaluate if the list of requirements is complete. The potential issues can be easily and quickly identified because of the automated testing process. Also, the integrations are easy and the concept of CI – Continuous Integration restrains issues from cropping up.
As an evolving entity, the startups have to stay focused on quality and agile development helps them do that by following the test-driven approach that makes sure that there is no complexity in the architecture and the design.
Saves Time & Effort, Encouraging Resourcefulness
Agile methodology ensures that the projects stay within their estimated budget and are accomplished without any problems. Startups are those entities that work with limited resources and this methodology is the best way to utilize the resources at hand to their maximum.
Here, developers believe in adding value to the product constantly by efficiently managing the hurdles. Feedback is gathered by the stakeholders at regular intervals of time and then the Agile teams perform in small sprints all guided and motivated by the feedback.
When compared with other development methodologies such as Waterfall, the Agile provides more transparency in the process and end products reach faster to the customers with the help of sprints that are basically short delivery cycles.
The iterative development guided by regular feedback makes sure that there is less wastage of resources. One of the best parts of the Agile method is that initially it can start by being a part of the system in the lean startup but later it can evolve to be the whole ecosystem.
Facilitates Diffusion Of Knowledge & Cross-Training Across Organization
With the help of daily meetings and stand-ins, the whole team is well aware of what everyone else from the team is working on at any given time. This process further stimulates diffusion of knowledge and every member is familiar with the parts of the components they aren’t directly associated with.
Pair programming is one of the most popular Agile software development techniques in which two developers share a single workstation one screen, keyboard, and mouse. Here, one programmer takes the role of the driver while the other being the navigator. The driver writes the code and the navigator provides him with the right direction to the project.
Startups gain several benefits with this methodology, such as better code quality, better coordination, and better dispersion of knowledge. Also, Agile development helps startups to find more efficient and alternate ways of developing solutions and applications. The resources with startups are restricted so they get benefited from the cross-functional training where one man is able to pick up another man’s role effectively with immediacy.
Keeps All The Stakeholders, Developers, Product Owners, Users On The Same Page
Most of the times it happens that the stakeholders and product owners are not an integral part of the actual development process. But the Agile methodology encourages sustainable development where all the stakeholders like product owners, developers and users are in the loop.
This goal is achieved by the Scrum that is a part of the agile movement. With the help of different Scrum instruments such as product backlog charts and burn down charts the progress of a particular project is easily demonstrated to all the stakeholders. All these updates allow lean startup geeks in thinking quickly and deciding the further course of action.
Thus, it is proved that the Agile development methodology is still a good alternative for the startups as it ensures that iterations are faster, resources are managed optimally, and the business gets on track at their earliest.
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