In February 2001, seventeen software developers met at a ski resort in Utah. They were tired of heavyweight processes that valued paperwork over progress. They wrote the Agile Manifesto—four values and twelve principles that would reshape software development.
Twenty-plus years later, "Agile" has become a buzzword, often misunderstood and misapplied. Let's get back to what the manifesto actually says, in plain English.
Key insight: The manifesto doesn't reject processes, documentation, contracts, or plans. It simply says some things matter more.
The 4 Core Values
Individuals and Interactions
over Processes and Tools
What it means
Tools don't build products. People do. A great team with basic tools beats a mediocre team with enterprise software every time.
Example in action
Your team solves a blocker in a 5-minute hallway conversation instead of filing tickets through three approval layers.
Working Software
over Comprehensive Documentation
What it means
Customers can't use documentation. They use working features. Ship code they can click, not PDFs they won't read.
Example in action
You release a basic search feature users can test today instead of writing a 50-page spec about the perfect search algorithm.
Customer Collaboration
over Contract Negotiation
What it means
Contracts create adversaries. Collaboration creates partners. Build with your customer, not against them.
Example in action
Your client joins sprint reviews, gives feedback, and helps prioritize. The contract exists, but it's not a weapon.
Responding to Change
over Following a Plan
What it means
Markets shift. Competitors move. Users surprise you. Clinging to a plan made 6 months ago is often just stubbornness.
Example in action
You pivot mid-sprint when analytics show users ignoring your new feature but loving an unplanned side effect.
The 12 Principles
The four values are supported by twelve principles. These are more specific and actionable—the “how” to the values' “why.”
Our highest priority is satisfying the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.
Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
Working software is the primary measure of progress.
Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential.
The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
A Brief History
Software teams were drowning in process. Waterfall methodologies demanded months of planning before writing a single line of code. Documentation mattered more than working software.
Seventeen practitioners gathered at Snowbird, Utah. They represented different lightweight methodologies (Extreme Programming, Scrum, DSDM, Crystal). They found common ground and wrote the manifesto.
Agile spread like wildfire. Scrum, Kanban, and other frameworks emerged. Companies adopted Agile—some successfully, others as “Agile theater.” The manifesto itself hasn't changed. The way teams interpret it has evolved dramatically.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
Twenty-five years later, the Agile Manifesto still resonates because the problems it addresses haven't disappeared. Teams still struggle with:
Problem: Over-planning
→ Agile encourages just-enough planning and iterative refinement
Problem: Late feedback
→ Frequent releases and collaboration catch problems early
Problem: Siloed teams
→ Cross-functional collaboration breaks down walls
Problem: Rigid processes
→ Retrospectives and adaptation keep teams improving
The manifesto isn't a silver bullet. It won't fix dysfunctional teams or bad leadership. But it does provide a North Star—a reminder that people, collaboration, and adaptability matter more than rigid processes and comprehensive documentation.
The Bottom Line
The Agile Manifesto is 68 words across four values. The twelve principles add context. That's it. There's no certification needed, no expensive training, no enterprise software required.
The hard part isn't understanding the manifesto. It's living it. Prioritizing people over process, feedback over documentation, collaboration over contracts—these are cultural shifts, not checklist items. Start small, iterate often, and remember: Agile is a mindset, not a methodology.
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