video

The Power of Technical Excellence in Agile Development

Published on
5 minute read

In today’s fast-paced development environment, the need for a usable, working product at the end of every iteration cannot be overstated. As Scrum and Agile practitioners, we often discuss the importance of technical excellence, but it’s more than just a concept—it’s the cornerstone of risk mitigation and successful product delivery. Let’s dive into why technical excellence is essential, how it mitigates risks, and the profound impact it can have on your product and team.

Why Technical Excellence Matters

Usable Working Product Every Iteration

One of the key principles in Scrum and Agile is ensuring that we have a usable working product at the end of each iteration. This isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. In traditional, linear project management models, where we know most of the details upfront, risk is mitigated through extensive planning. However, in a high-variance environment, this approach simply doesn’t work.

Planning in Low-Variance vs. High-Variance Environments

The Myth of Sacrificing Quality for Speed

A common myth in the software industry is that it’s acceptable to sacrifice some quality to meet market demands faster. However, this trade-off is not only flawed but can be detrimental in the long run. Sacrificing quality often leads to increased technical debt and a product that is harder to maintain, less reliable, and ultimately less valuable to customers.

Real-World Example: The Azure DevOps Transformation

One of the most compelling examples of the power of technical excellence comes from the Azure DevOps team at Microsoft. In 2012, this team transitioned from a waterfall model, delivering to production every two years, to a more Agile approach with three-week iterations. The results were astounding.

From 24 to 280 Features per Year

The Key to Success: Paying Back Technical Debt

The Azure DevOps team didn’t achieve this transformation by cutting corners. Instead, they focused on paying back technical debt and building technical excellence into their processes. This allowed them to deliver more value to customers, faster, and with higher quality.

Defining and Establishing a “Definition of Done”

The Foundation of Technical Excellence

A crucial aspect of technical excellence is having a well-defined “Definition of Done” (DoD). The DoD is not just a checklist; it’s the foundation upon which technical excellence is built. It ensures that every increment of work meets a minimum standard of quality, reducing the risk of delivering a subpar product.

What Should Your Definition of Done Include?

The Role of the Scrum Team

If your organization doesn’t have a DoD, it’s up to the Scrum team, particularly the developers, to create one. This DoD should be relevant to your product and stringent enough to ensure that you’re delivering a usable working product every Sprint.

The Benefits of Technical Excellence

Reduced Risk

By focusing on technical excellence and delivering a working product at the end of every iteration, you significantly reduce the risks associated with development. Continuous delivery allows for regular feedback, early detection of issues, and the ability to pivot when necessary.

Increased Value Delivery

Technical excellence enables teams to deliver more features, faster, and with higher quality. As seen with the Azure DevOps team, this focus can lead to a dramatic increase in the number of features delivered, enhancing the product’s value to customers.

The Ability to Focus on the Art of the Possible

When technical debt is low and quality is high, teams can shift their focus from firefighting to innovation. Instead of struggling to maintain a poorly built product, teams can explore new possibilities, experiment with new features, and deliver real value to customers.

Conclusion: Don’t Get Left Behind

In today’s competitive market, technical excellence is not just an option—it’s a necessity. Whether you’re delivering software or building houses, the principles remain the same. Focus on quality, establish a solid Definition of Done, and deliver a usable working product every iteration.

Final Recommendations

🚀 Build the best product you can, mitigate risks effectively, and maximize value for your customers.

video Technical excellence Agile Agile product development Product development Scrum

Connect with Martin Hinshelwood

If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.

Our Happy Clients​

We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.​

Brandes Investment Partners L.P. Logo
Qualco Logo
Sage Logo
Ericson Logo
Workday Logo
SuperControl Logo

NIT A/S

Freadom Logo
Microsoft Logo
Akaditi Logo
Emerson Process Management Logo
Deliotte Logo
Slicedbread Logo
Milliman Logo
Lockheed Martin Logo
Teleplan Logo
MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd. Logo
Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG) Logo
Ghana Police Service Logo
Nottingham County Council Logo
Royal Air Force Logo
New Hampshire Supreme Court Logo
Washington Department of Enterprise Services Logo
Department of Work and Pensions (UK) Logo
Schlumberger Logo
ProgramUtvikling Logo
Hubtel Ghana Logo
Teleplan Logo
Capita Secure Information Solutions Ltd Logo
ALS Life Sciences Logo