In December 2016, Agile was everywhere in form but fading in spirit. This post explored how teams had turned agile ceremonies into a hollow performance: standups were status updates, retros were complaints, and planning focused more on estimation than user outcomes. Agile had become a checklist, not a mindset. A few brave teams stripped away the noise and focused on what really helped them deliver value — often at odds with the corporate definition of “doing Agile right.”
By mid-2018, many teams began trimming or redefining rituals to suit their actual workflows. Async standups and outcome-driven planning became more common, though resistance persisted in compliance-heavy or rigidly scaled environments.
Today, teams that succeed with agile often deviate significantly from textbook frameworks. They adapt ceremonies to their context, challenge bureaucracy, and measure success by outcomes — not adherence. Agile is no longer a theater script; it’s an evolving culture of learning and delivery.
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