In this post, there are some scary assumptions. I wonder where they come from?

• “But where does [the Manifesto] say that the customer gets what he wants?”
• “Mary talked about the next inflection point in agile – getting back the customer focus.
• “‘Agile’ until now was about the processes and tools that improve software development.”
• “[We] now have to align with the business goals of the organization –  provide what the customers need.”

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But this is sooooooooooooo far away from what Agile is all about, I find it shocking.

My primary response:

Well, if you aren’t building software for customers, then you can do what you want.

Even though the customer is mentioned explicitly in the very first principle, I submit it is obvious that you are to satisfy the customer to build valuable software. Always. We ain’t no stinkin’ charity for developers to play around with shiny new software trinkets. (At least not overtly <g>.)

Anyway, “satisfying the customer” is simply a “given” behind each one of us that met to author the Manifesto.

And, who ever suggested moving away from the customer (implied by the need to “get back”)? That is completely anti-agile.

Agile is also not “about the processes and tools” as the post suggests — if anything, Agile is about a state of mind to do the right thing in every circumstance.

How do these ideas get out there about Agile?

I’m confused.