Agile's Journey Through the Decades

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

scott-m-graffius---agiles-journey-through-the-decades---v25022107-lwres


black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Introduction

Agile has come a long way since its early days, evolving through decades of adaptation and innovation. What began as a response to rigid development practices has become a global movement, influencing industries beyond software. Along the way, principles and practices have shaped how teams collaborate and deliver value. This article (and the related
infographic) takes you through Agile’s history, highlighting key moments that have defined its evolution. Discover the decades of transformation that keep Agile evolving and relevant in today’s world.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Agile Through the Decades

The 1950s

  • 1957: IBM began utilizing incremental development in software projects.
  • 1958: Software for Project Mercury, the United States’ first human spaceflight program, was developed in half-day iterations.

The 1960s

  • 1968: IBM’s Harlan Mills advocated for staged, incremental software development with continuous user involvement.

The 1970s

[Agile took a Disco Nap]

The 1980s

  • 1980: Toyota introduced visual control, a predecessor to Agile’s information radiators.
  • 1984: Leo Brodie described the concept of factoring, an early influence on code structuring.
  • 1985: Tom Gilb introduced the Evolutionary Delivery Model, an alternative to the Waterfall methodology.
  • 1986: The influential article "The New New Product Development Game" by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka was published in the Harvard Business Review, laying the groundwork for Scrum.
  • 1988: The timebox approach was central to DuPont’s Rapid Iterative Production Prototyping.

The 1990s

  • 1990: Bill Opdyke coined the term refactoring, which became fundamental in Agile software development.
  • 1991: James Martin described timeboxing and iterations, core components of Agile frameworks.
  • 1993:Jim Coplien introduced the stand-up meeting pattern. Scrum was first used as a process by Jeff Sutherland, John Scumniotales, and Jeff McKenna at Easel Corporation.
  • 1994: Alistair Cockburn advocated working in increments.
  • 1995: Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland co-presented Scrum.
  • 1997: Ken Schwaber described the daily Scrum.
  • 1998: The Chrysler Goes to Extremes case study detailed Extreme Programming (XP) practices like self-chosen tasks, three-week iterations, and pair programming.

The 2000s

  • 2000: Martin Fowler published an article defining continuous integration. Ken Schwaber introduced the burndown chart.
  • 2001: Seventeen software development experts—Kent Beck, Mike Beedle, Arie van Bennekum, Alistair Cockburn, Ward Cunningham, Martin Fowler, Robert C. Martin, Steve Mellor, Dave Thomas, James Grenning, Jim Highsmith, Andrew Hunt, Ron Jeffries, Jon Kern, Brian Marick, Ken Schwaber, and Jeff Sutherland—formulated the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, emphasizing individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responding to change. Mary Poppendieck highlighted Agile’s similarities with Lean manufacturing. Alistair Cockburn coined the term information radiator.
  • 2005: Mike Cohn’s Agile Estimating and Planning introduced techniques such as Planning Poker.
  • 2008: Kane Mar formally described backlog grooming. Jeff Patton introduced story mapping.
  • 2009: The concept of DevOps emerged from John Allspaw and Paul Hammond’s talk on 10+ daily deployments, while Patrick Debois coined the term.

The 2010s to Present

  • 2010: Dean Leffingwell and Drew Jemilo introduced the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), designed for enterprise-level Agile adoption.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Conclusion

Agile has continually evolved, proving its resilience and relevance across industries. It adapts to new challenges and innovations. And its core principles of collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement remain as vital as ever.

Scott M. Graffius developed a related infographic—'Agile's History, Visualized'—and released it via Exceptional Agility AI. It's also available
here.

exceptional-agility-ai---scott-m-graffius---agiles-history---v25022107-header-image-4-SQ-2---with-pdf-download-icon-lwres

Many individuals and organizations have made valuable contributions to Agile. This article highlights select major milestones and is not intended to be an exhaustive list.


black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Read on for:
  • About Scott M. Graffius,
  • How to cite this article,
  • and more.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

About Scott M. Graffius

scott_m_graffius_-_blue_-_1000x1000_-lwres

Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, agile, and project management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international public speaker.

Graffius has generated more than USD $1.9 billion in business value for organizations served, including Fortune 500 companies. Businesses and industries range from technology (including R&D and AI) to entertainment, financial services, and healthcare, government, social media, and more.

Graffius leads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded talent, and consulting services to public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

He is the author of two award-winning books.
Organizations around the world invite Graffius to speak on tech (including AI), agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He has developed and delivered unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has delivered 91 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more. With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have featured Graffius and his work including content from his books, talks, workshops, and more. Select examples include:
  • Adobe,
  • American Management Association,
  • Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
  • Bayer,
  • BMC Software,
  • Boston University,
  • Broadcom,
  • Cisco,
  • Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts Germany,
  • Computer Weekly,
  • Constructor University Germany,
  • Data Governance Success,
  • Deimos Aerospace,
  • DevOps Institute,
  • EU's European Commission,
  • Ford Motor Company,
  • Gartner
  • GoDaddy,
  • Harvard Medical School,
  • Hasso Plattner Institute Germany,
  • IEEE,
  • Innovation Project Management,
  • Johns Hopkins University,
  • Journal of Neurosurgery,
  • Lam Research (Semiconductors),
  • Leadership Worthy,
  • Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
  • London South Bank University,
  • Microsoft,
  • NASSCOM,
  • National Academy of Sciences,
  • New Zealand Government,
  • Oracle,
  • Pinterest Inc.,
  • Project Management Institute,
  • SANS Institute,
  • SBG Neumark Germany,
  • Singapore Institute of Technology,
  • Torrens University Australia,
  • TBS Switzerland,
  • Tufts University,
  • UC San Diego,
  • UK Sports Institute,
  • University of Galway Ireland,
  • US Department of Energy,
  • US National Park Service,
  • US Tennis Association,
  • Veleučilište u Rijeci Croatia,
  • Verizon,
  • Virginia Tech,
  • Warsaw University of Technology,
  • Wrike,
  • Yale University,
  • and many others.

Graffius has been actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the development of professional standards. He was a member of the team which produced the
Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Graffius was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, and The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition. He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

  • Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
  • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
  • Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
  • Project Management Professional (PMP),
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
  • IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

He divides his time between Los Angeles and Paris, France.

Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

pinterest-inc-references-scott-m-graffius0027-research---v1-3---lwres

cisco-features-scott-m.-graffius0027-0027phases-of-team-development0027-work---rectange---lwres

ieee-xplore-publication-featured-scott-m-graffius-phases-of-team-development-work---rev-sept-19-2024---hires

uc-san-diego-features-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property-on-teamwork---geisel---creative-24101007---lwres

johns-hopkins-university-features-work-of-scott-m-graffius---v24080107---tw---lwres

semiconductor-manufacturing-firm-lam-research-features-scott-m-graffius2019-2018phases-of-team-development2019-intellectual-property---tw-sz-format---lwres

bayer-licensed-ip-of-agile-expert-scott-m-graffius---agilescrumguide_com---lwres

award-winning-agile-scrum-book-by-scott-m-graffius-v24122207lwres

scott_m_graffius_agile_transformation_sq_lr_1000x1000

25-unforgettable-gifts-from-usd-149-to-2640000---scottgraffius-com---lwres

scottgraffius-youtube---v25032307-lwres

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_cite

How to Cite This Article


Graffius, Scott M. (2025, February 21).
Agile's Journey Through the Decades. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/agile's-journey-through-the-decades.html.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Scott M. Graffius wrote this article. He wrote a related article at Exceptional Agility AI.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_x---rev-24101207---copyright---lwres

Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






custom - back to main page of blog





Hostinger Highlights Scott M. Graffius’ “Agile Protocol” Book in Feature on Software Projects

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

hostinger-highlights-scott-m-graffius-agile-protocol-book-in-feature-on-software-projects---lwres



black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum by Scott M. Graffius was quoted by Hostinger—one of the world’s leading web hosting providers—in their 23 May 2025 feature article on software projects.

Here’s an excerpt from Hostinger's article:

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is essentially a stripped-down version of your product that tests core features and validates your assumptions early.


Or, as Scott M. Graffius, award-winning author and international speaker, cleverly puts it, ‘Let’s talk about Minimum Viable Product, or as I like to call it: the art of building just enough to find out you’re wrong.’


Without an MVP, you risk building a product that misses the mark or drains your budget before gaining traction. It also opens the door to feature creep, when extra features are added to the project over time, stretching the scope far beyond what was originally intended.



A visual follows.

hostinger-highlights-scott-m-graffius-agile-protocol-book-in-feature-on-software-projects-excerpts-lwres

Hostinger's respective feature article is
here.

Hostinger’s inclusion of Graffius' newly-released
Agile Protocol demonstrates the book’s early impact and relevance in discussions around successful software delivery. It further affirms the book's dual role as a satirical adventure and a source of actionable insights for Agile practitioners and tech leaders.

About Hostinger

Hostinger, a leading web hosting provider founded in Lithuania in 2004, has grown into a global powerhouse, serving over 3 million clients and managing 5 million domains across 178 countries. Renowned for its affordable yet high-performing hosting solutions, the company has earned a spot on the Financial Times’ FT 1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies for six consecutive years, with a 57% revenue surge in 2023, reaching €110 million, partly attributed to its innovative use of AI. With a client base that includes 29 million websites and a reputation for reliable, user-friendly services, Hostinger continues to solidify its prominence in the tech industry. To learn more, visit
https://www.hostinger.com.

About Agile Protocol

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum is a wildly entertaining, high-stakes story that doubles as a stealth guide to Agile!

A tech company threatens to implode under the weight of its misapplication of Agile ("fake Agile"). That's when an elite crew intervenes to execute a daring rescue to save the day—and the business. Along the way, they navigate corporate Agile cosplay, sabotage, unhinged AI, executive meltdowns, an epic rage-quit via helicopter, and more.

Agile Protocol is hilarious satire packed with real insights. Through its wild ride, you’ll gain tools to understand what great Agile leadership looks like, spot and stop "fake Agile," and confidently apply Agile values and principles.

This entertaining and enlightening read is perfect for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Coaches, Agile Project Managers, Technology Managers, Founders, and others involved or interested in Agile. Available worldwide as an ebook and audiobook (paperback coming soon). Get your copy from
Amazon or Audible.

If you want to watch the trailer first, it's
here.

About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international speaker. He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other powerhouses in tech, entertainment, finance, government, healthcare, social media, and beyond. Innovators like Cisco, Microsoft, National Science Foundation LTER Network, Oracle, the US Department of Energy, and Yale University use his expertise to fuel their success. Explore
https://www.scottgraffius.com to learn more.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Continue reading for:

  • (More) About Scott M. Graffius,
  • How to Cite This Article,
  • and more.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

(More) About Scott M. Graffius

scott_m_graffius_-_blue_-_1000x1000_-lwres

Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.


International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date,
Graffius has conducted 93 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.

With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The speaker engagement request form is
here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

  • Adobe,
  • American Management Association,
  • Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
  • Bayer,
  • BMC Software,
  • Boston University,
  • Broadcom,
  • Cisco,
  • Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
  • Computer Weekly,
  • Constructor University - Germany,
  • Data Governance Success,
  • Deimos Aerospace,
  • DevOps Institute,
  • Dropbox,
  • EU's European Commission,
  • Ford Motor Company,
  • Gartner,
  • GoDaddy,
  • Harvard Medical School,
  • Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
  • IEEE,
  • Innovation Project Management,
  • Johns Hopkins University,
  • Journal of Neurosurgery,
  • Lam Research (Semiconductors),
  • Leadership Worthy,
  • Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
  • London South Bank University,
  • Microsoft,
  • NASSCOM,
  • National Academy of Sciences,
  • New Zealand Government,
  • Oracle,
  • Pinterest Inc.,
  • Project Management Institute,
  • Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
  • SANS Institute,
  • SBG Neumark - Germany,
  • Singapore Institute of Technology,
  • Torrens University - Australia,
  • TBS Switzerland,
  • Tufts University,
  • UC San Diego,
  • UK Sports Institute,
  • University of Galway - Ireland,
  • US Department of Energy,
  • US National Park Service,
  • US Soccer,
  • US Tennis Association,
  • Verizon,
  • Wrike,
  • Yale University,
  • and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

  • Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
  • The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
  • The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.

Additional details are here.

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.

The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

  • Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
  • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
  • Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
  • Project Management Professional (PMP),
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
  • IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

pinterest-inc-references-scott-m-graffius0027-research---v1-3---lwres

cisco-features-scott-m.-graffius0027-0027phases-of-team-development0027-work---rectange---lwres

ieee-xplore-publication-featured-scott-m-graffius-phases-of-team-development-work---rev-sept-19-2024---hires

uc-san-diego-features-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property-on-teamwork---geisel---creative-24101007---lwres

johns-hopkins-university-features-work-of-scott-m-graffius---v24080107---tw---lwres

semiconductor-manufacturing-firm-lam-research-features-scott-m-graffius2019-2018phases-of-team-development2019-intellectual-property---tw-sz-format---lwres

bayer-licensed-ip-of-agile-expert-scott-m-graffius---agilescrumguide_com---lwres

award-winning-agile-scrum-book-by-scott-m-graffius-v24122207lwres

scott_m_graffius_agile_transformation_sq_lr_1000x1000

25-unforgettable-gifts-from-usd-149-to-2640000---scottgraffius-com---lwres

scottgraffius-youtube---v25032307-lwres

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_cite

How to Cite This Article


Graffius, Scott M. (2025, May 24).
Hostinger Highlights Scott M. Graffius’ "Agile Protocol" Book in Feature on Software Projects. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/hostinger-highlights-scott-m-graffius-agile-protocol-book-in-feature-on-software-projects.html.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_x---rev-24101207---doi----lwres

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)


DOI: (coming soon)


black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_x---rev-24101207---content-acknowledgements---lwres

Content Acknowledgements

This article includes brief excerpts from Hostinger, attributed and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.

Hostinger name, mark, and content are the property of Hostinger.

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_x---rev-24101207---copyright---lwres

Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






custom - back to main page of blog





"Agile Protocol" and the Power of Satire, Parody, and Humor

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

agile-protocol-and-the-power-of-satire-parody-and-humor-by-scott-m-graffius---lwres



black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Introduction

What’s the best way to expose the dysfunctions of modern Agile transformations (while also showing how to do things right)? A dry white paper? A tedious slide deck? Another soul-crushing meeting? Or a wildly entertaining, high-stakes adventure that doubles as a stealth guide to Agile?

In
Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, the lines between fiction and reality blur—on purpose. This story leans hard into satire, parody, and humor to entertain and unmask very real issues plaguing Agile in the wild. Here’s how the book wields each of these powerful tools.

Satire

Agile Protocol
skewers real-world dysfunctions in Agile transformations such as misapplied Agile and resulting mayhem. These aren’t just punchlines; they're incisive critiques of behaviors and mindsets professionals often see but rarely confront.

Through a satirical lens (with humor, exaggerations, and irony),
Agile Protocol holds up a mirror to problems like corporate Agile cosplay and asks, "Look familiar?"

Parody

Agile Protocol
exaggerates familiar tropes—thriller-style stakes, transformation consultants, and corporate dramas—to expose their absurdity when fused with Agile. The story mirrors real transformations but cranks up the chaos with sabotage, showdowns, and over-the-top executive meltdowns.

This parodic form lampoons both business culture and pop-culture storytelling conventions, making the critique both accessible and memorable. For instance, there’s an AI-powered device that tracks the probability of executive meltdowns—a playful jab at the tool- and metrics-driven madness of many modern transformations.


Humor

From sharp-witted dialogue to absurd workplace scenarios, Agile Protocol delivers laugh-out-loud humor with a purpose. Readers stay hooked because it’s entertaining; they leave with a stealth education in Agile.

Humor acts as a delivery system: laugh first, reflect later. The book’s clever jokes and ridiculous situations make complex ideas digestible—and unforgettable.

Why It Works

In business, "transformation" often feels like an empty buzzword. Satire, parody, and humor pierce the clutter with vivid clarity and a lighter touch.
Agile Protocol wields these tools to disarm readers, reveal truths, and make insights stick.

Conclusion

Agile Protocol isn’t just another Agile book. It’s a genre-bending, jargon-busting, laugh-out-loud takedown of everything we get wrong in the name of "change." Call it satire, parody, or ridiculously fun with real insights. Whatever you call it, it lands with impact.

Agile Protocol is a movement—sparking conversations and inspiring teams to laugh, reflect, and transform for the better.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

About Agile Protocol

agile-protocol-review-on-goodreads---sharp-funny--iphone-dark-v250528-lwres2

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum is a wildly entertaining, high-stakes story that doubles as a stealth guide to Agile!

A tech company threatens to implode under the weight of its misapplication of Agile ("fake Agile"). That's when an elite crew intervenes to execute a daring rescue to save the day—and the business. Along the way, they navigate corporate Agile cosplay, sabotage, unhinged AI, executive meltdowns, an epic rage-quit via helicopter, and more.

Agile Protocol is hilarious satire packed with real insights. Through its wild ride, you’ll gain tools to understand what great Agile leadership looks like, spot and stop "fake Agile," and confidently apply Agile values and principles.

This entertaining and enlightening read is perfect for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Coaches, Agile Project Managers, Technology Managers, Founders, and others involved or interested in Agile.

Available worldwide as an ebook and audiobook (paperback coming soon). Grab your copy from
Amazon or Audible.

If you want to check out the trailer first, it's
here.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

Bibliography

Graffius, Scott M. (2025). Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. Seattle, WA: Amazon Digital Services.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

More

Continue reading for:

  • About Scott M. Graffius,
  • How to Cite This Article,
  • and more.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

About Scott M. Graffius

scott_m_graffius_-_blue_-_1000x1000_-lwres

Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.


International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date,
Graffius has conducted 93 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.

With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The speaker engagement request form is
here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

  • Adobe,
  • American Management Association,
  • Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
  • Bayer,
  • BMC Software,
  • Boston University,
  • Broadcom,
  • Cisco,
  • Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
  • Computer Weekly,
  • Constructor University - Germany,
  • Data Governance Success,
  • Deimos Aerospace,
  • DevOps Institute,
  • Dropbox,
  • EU's European Commission,
  • Ford Motor Company,
  • Gartner,
  • GoDaddy,
  • Harvard Medical School,
  • Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
  • IEEE,
  • Innovation Project Management,
  • Johns Hopkins University,
  • Journal of Neurosurgery,
  • Lam Research (Semiconductors),
  • Leadership Worthy,
  • Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
  • London South Bank University,
  • Microsoft,
  • NASSCOM,
  • National Academy of Sciences,
  • New Zealand Government,
  • Oracle,
  • Pinterest Inc.,
  • Project Management Institute,
  • Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
  • SANS Institute,
  • SBG Neumark - Germany,
  • Singapore Institute of Technology,
  • Torrens University - Australia,
  • TBS Switzerland,
  • Tufts University,
  • UC San Diego,
  • UK Sports Institute,
  • University of Galway - Ireland,
  • US Department of Energy,
  • US National Park Service,
  • US Soccer,
  • US Tennis Association,
  • Verizon,
  • Wrike,
  • Yale University,
  • and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

  • Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
  • The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
  • The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.

Additional details are here.

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.

The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

  • Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
  • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
  • Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
  • Project Management Professional (PMP),
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
  • IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

pinterest-inc-references-scott-m-graffius0027-research---v1-3---lwres

cisco-features-scott-m.-graffius0027-0027phases-of-team-development0027-work---rectange---lwres

ieee-xplore-publication-featured-scott-m-graffius-phases-of-team-development-work---rev-sept-19-2024---hires

uc-san-diego-features-scott-m-graffius-intellectual-property-on-teamwork---geisel---creative-24101007---lwres

johns-hopkins-university-features-work-of-scott-m-graffius---v24080107---tw---lwres

semiconductor-manufacturing-firm-lam-research-features-scott-m-graffius2019-2018phases-of-team-development2019-intellectual-property---tw-sz-format---lwres

bayer-licensed-ip-of-agile-expert-scott-m-graffius---agilescrumguide_com---lwres

award-winning-agile-scrum-book-by-scott-m-graffius-v24122207lwres

scott_m_graffius_agile_transformation_sq_lr_1000x1000

25-unforgettable-gifts-from-usd-149-to-2640000---scottgraffius-com---lwres

scottgraffius-youtube---v25032307-lwres

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_cite

How to Cite This Article


Graffius, Scott M. (2025, June 1).
"Agile Protocol" and the Power of Satire, Parody, and Humor. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/agile-protocol-and-the-power-of-satire-parody-and-humor.html.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_x---rev-24101207---doi----lwres

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)


DOI: (coming soon)


black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_x---rev-24101207---content-acknowledgements---lwres

Content Acknowledgements

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

black_spacer_lr_sq_v3

scott_m_graffius_-_blog_spacer_-_v23111107_-_x---rev-24101207---copyright---lwres

Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






custom - back to main page of blog