Agile Methodology for Startups: A Complete Overview
The startup market is escalating fast, and so is its failure rate. According to popular research, 9 out of 10 startup ventures are shut down in their early years for various reasons. The chief ones include creating a space for their product in the market or dying with premature scaling.
The key difference between a startup and an established brand is its ‘Structure’. Every component in an organization is highly organized, and people know their roles, whereas a startup fails to maintain an efficient working environment that, eventually creates chaos.
And this is where Agile comes to the rescue.
What is Agile Methodology?
Agile is a project management approach that includes principles and practices functional during each project lifecycle. It is a way to manage a project by breaking it into several phases, known as sprints. It involves proper collaboration with stakeholders and continuous improvement at each stage. Once the development begins, teams cycle through planning, executing, and evaluating. The developers focus on improving the product during the product development phases.
The agile approach has quoted 4 values and 12 principles to get the expected results. These are:
- Individuals and interactions over tools and processes
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over Contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
These are the four pillars of an efficient, agile approach that startups must adopt to ensure an optimum outcome.
What are the Benefits of Adopting the Agile Approach for Startups?
Adopting the agile approach can help startups in several ways. Know these in detail in the infographic below –
Challenges of Using Agile Methodology in Startup Team Development
The agile methodology is gaining immense popularity nowadays in managing software development projects. The chief advantage of agile is that it allows for rapid delivery of working software, which is essential for startups who want to rush and adapt to changes.
But there are some challenges that startups face when using this approach. One of the significant challenges is communication. Generally, startups have smaller teams and less experience working together, making coordinating and communicating difficult.
Another challenge is score crepe. Startups often work on new and innovative products that make it difficult to estimate the exact score of work. It leads to score crepe, where the project takes longer and costs more than initially planned.
Finally, startups often have limited resources, making it difficult to implement this approach effectively. For this, startups should not overcommit the resources that otherwise force them to stretch too thin.
Despite these challenges, agile is an excellent approach for startups. Startups that can communicate effectively and manage their resources can reap the benefits effectively.
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