Review By: C. David Moye
09/24/2010Authors Greg Smith and Dr. Ahmed Sidky wrote this book to help leaders of traditionally-managed projects decide if a transition to agile is appropriate and to explain how to make that transition. Their approach follows a case study from a fictitious company, Acme Media, as it discovers the need to change heavy-handed processes to an agile approach. The book tracks Acme Media’s progress, illustrating lessons-learned and a roadmap for transitioning. This approach breaks down a complex planning problem into a series of bite-sized chunks that can be consumed by, or in some cases force-fed to, company decision-makers. It is important to note that the book is somewhat process-agnostic. It does not prescribe XP, Scrum, or any other process by name. It just talks about "being agile." The book is more or less supporting text for those seeking a guide on transitioning to a specific process.

Becoming Agile tries to be geared toward entire companies (members of project teams, project and software managers, executives, etc.) but ultimately ends up primarily targeting the grass-roots contributors and small-unit leaders whom can most effectively move such process change forward. The authors make no assumptions about the reader’s experience level when it comes to implementing agile procedures. They use accessible language suitable for agile neophytes, yet they don't talk down to the advanced agile practitioner. In fact, there are tidbits on how to communicate with executives that may help even the most advanced practitioners.

From a content perspective, the material is well-supported by examples and case studies involving real-life experiences (though the company names have been changed). The steps taken by Acme Media are easily extracted and reformulated to accommodate most businesses that are receptive to change, and result in a nice blueprint for transition—complete with some examples of what to avoid. One section of particular note in this regard is the well-described technique of prioritizing, sequencing, and grouping the backlog for Acme Media’s efforts in chapter thirteen.

All told, I would recommend Becoming Agile to technical leads, project managers, or upwardly-mobile, individual contributors who are looking to move their company, or department, from a more stringent, traditional process to a more efficient agile process. The techniques discussed in the book avoid dating themselves by being careful to not espouse any one process over another and by sticking to the benefits and issues.