“You can try to avoid open source, but it's probably easier to get out of the IT business altogether. By 2011, at least 80% of commercial software will contain significant amounts of open source code.”
Agile methods share a few basic values and principles, described in the Agile Manifesto. The most widespread agile methods are Extreme Programming (XP) and Scrum. The Sourcesense approach is based on XP, with a few practices from Scrum.
In a nutshell, agile methods are about the early and continuous release of valuable software. A typical XP team will release a first version after only two weeks. This first release will be a very incomplete product, but with one or two working features already.
This way, the customer has immediate feedback on the quality of the delivered software; and they can, in turn, give the developers feedback on their work, so that they stay focused on what really matters for the customer. If the XP team is good, they can keep releasing new functionality every one or two weeks.
The frequent and continuous release of new functionality has important consequences:
- Developers and customers learn together. Developers learn about the customer's application domain. The customer has early feedback on his requests, so he can steer development and adjust the aim towards the most valuable product.
- The customer is in control. After every release they have a production quality system, even if incomplete. After every release it's possible to renegotiate, within reasonable costs and limits, the functionality that is not developed yet; modify functionality already delivered; or even decide that the current system is good enough and stop development.
- There's no time to do a detailed design phase. XP has engineering practices that compensate, so that in general it's more effective and less risky than the traditional waterfall method. These practices include incremental, emerging design; pair programming; and test-driven development.
- The progress of the developers is open and visible. We will not hide behind vague "percent complete"s. One feature is either completely finished, or not. The progress is measured against completely finished features, which the customer can personally test on the delivered system.
What do we know about Agile?
The Sourcesense Milano team, formed in February 2007, is composed of developers with solid experience, well known in the Italian Agile community. They are, in seniority order:- Matteo Vaccari, coach. Developer since 1989, Ph.D. in Computing Science, applies XP since 2004. He co-organized three editions of the European Summer School on Agile Programming. Member of the Milano XP User Group. He blogs about Extreme Enthusiasm.
- Pietro Di Bello, senior agile developer. Developer since 2000, in 2002 he joined what was probably the first XP Italian Team.
- Alberto Quario, senior agile developer.
- Antonio Ganci, senior agile developer. He is a professional developer since 1995; he graduated in Software Engineering, started applying agile methods in 2004. He is a member of the ALT.NET group. His blog: antonioganci.
- Tommaso Torti, senior agile developer.
- Antonio Carpentieri, senior agile developer. He is a professional developer since 1998. He applies agile methods since 2004. He is a member of the ALT.NET group.
- Jacopo Franzoi, senior agile developer. He is a developer since 2003, started applying agile methods in 2006. He is a member of the Milano eXtreme Programming User Group.
- Marco Gulino, junior agile developer.
- Fabiana Romagnoli, junior agile developer.
- Riccardo Marotti, junior agile developer.