What Does Agile Mean for a Start-Up?

​Usually, startups don’t have a straightforward path paved out for them. Their end-of-the-line goals keep changing, or are simply vague, which is understandable given that they are fast-moving entities that rely on evolution as their constant. 

This makes agile methods the perfect fit for startups, as they allow them to keep up with and facilitate their desired rapid pace of development. Especially since the people involved in startups usually carry out multiple roles and address various challenges as they come along.

The agile methodology is intrinsically designed to set-out and achieve short-term goals, deliver speedy results, and adapt the strategy to changing dynamics. Given that startups are prone to undergoing rapid growth, a strict organizational structure hampers their potential and denies them the flexibility they need to remain competitive. And since traditional management styles are not designed to tackle such volatility, agile proves to be a great support system in such cases. It provides them the ease required to tackle unexpected obstacles, compete with other product providers, and change according to the demands of the market.

Delivering usable products at the end of a sprint is what makes this methodology especially useful for startups. As the development team churns out new versions of a product after sprints, they get to:

• Compare the product with that of their competitors
• Get speedy customer feedback
• Adjust to the feedback and add new product features and improvements as their goal for the next sprintThis allows the startup to stay receptive and maintain or improve the quality and worth of its product.

Additionally, speed is an important factor for startups as they have little time to spare, making SCRUM, which is the agile framework for managing work, a convenient choice. It is fairly simple to follow, learn, and implement without requiring extensive training to get you started. Also, daily brief meetings to update your team on the progress and the obstacles that need tackling usually suffice.
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Another key component of a startup is the absence of a fully detailed end-goal. Agile works great in such environments since its methods are based on value-driven delivery, with the focus on releasing the product in today’s market. It allows for the market environment to define the production of the product as it naturally evolves over time.