This topic is essentially a high-level View of what this course is about. The principles and concepts introduced in this introductory video are what we spend our time in these agile courses learning and understanding.

During the first couple of minutes, the beginning of this video shows the journey from where this all started to where we are today. Between this begin point and endpoint, much has happened in the product development world. We will address this time frame and the detail of what we have learned during this period of time in the content of this course and all of the courses that follow.

I will also discuss my involvement and why I have become so passionate about this topic of agile as it exists in our world today. I will talk about what I have experienced and what I have observed over the last 15 plus years of my involvement in the agile space. It has been a very exciting journey for me and as far as I am concerned this is just the beginning. The beginning of a continuing road to success.

Listen and learn.

Who is your trainer? This topic gives an insight into Ed Rubuliak. You learn about his background in the industry, what he currently is doing, his passions and his drives, and finally, how all of this will go towards helping you become one of the "Agile Elite."

As you learn in this section, Ed has trained thousands since 2004 in all areas of both the Private and Public Organizational sectors in the realm of what we call "Agile". His expertise and in-depth experience in both the Training and Coaching of Information Technology practitioners, as well as leading countless Agile Development Teams, has given him an understanding of how to apply the Agile Values and Principles in achieving Success in the development of Products. And doing it in the "Agile Way!"

Listen and Learn!

In this topic, we present an overview of the course content for What Is Agile?: Part 1.

We review the following points:

• Industry Credibility

• Who Uses Agile?

• Who Is Successful With Agile

• Who Is Not Successful With Agile

• What Agile Is Not

Learn and Enjoy!

We Are AGILE!

The Context Of Agile

The subject of “Agile” covers a wide area of the business world. In this topic, we will begin to look at what we call Industry Credibility. To “get a handle on” or “wrap our heads around this topic, we put what we call “context” to what is happening today in the Agile Space.

By context, we mean we want to see just how and where we see this subject of Agile being discussed, implemented, and actually being used successfully.

There are many major organizations that you all know that are addressing change in their organizations with this “thing” we call agile. And, what we are seeing and hearing from many, are the success stories that we list in this topic.

Listen, watch, learn and enjoy!

We Are AGILE!

I.T. Industry Governance

This topic studies the trends of what the Information Technology Governance Organizations have been telling us about the Agile arena.

It is interesting to note that many of the information technology governance groups and organizations have taken their time getting on board the agile train. And rightly so. These organizations have seen many fads and silver bullets as they would put it appear on the information technology landscape over the last number of decades.

However, we see that they are now on board the agile train as they begin to see successes appear in organization after organization. These successes are real and are making an impact in our industry.

We will examine the trends and the history of what we have seen happen over the last 15 years with these governance organizations.

Sit back, listen, watch, learn, and enjoy!

We Are AGILE!

The Organizations That Are Agile

In this topic, we take a look at some of the organizations that we have all heard about and recognize their names. These organizations have stepped out and taken the risky move towards creating an agile culture.

I use the term risky here because this is not just having somebody learn a process with a checklist, and then directing everyone in the organization to learn the checklist. This is done in the hope that if everyone follows the same checklist and checks off all the boxes, they will have a successful product. No, what we are talking about here requires a major corporate culture shift. And this shift can be quite painful and traumatic within an organization that is steeped in a traditional organizational culture.

Organizations that make this leap of faith, focus on what they know will be a successful outcome on the other side. Looking at the few well-known organizations that we discuss here, you can well imagine the corporate pain they have had to travel through. There are some organizations that would rather not experience this traumatic cultural shift and just stick to their old traditional ways. Much of it ending up in failure.

Our Hope here is that as you see and hear about these organizations, which are well-known, you will be motivated to move in this direction within your organization. Knowing that the end result will be success.

Sit back, listen, watch, learn, and enjoy.

We Are AGILE!

The Demand For “Agilitsts”

Over the last few years, we have seen a tremendous growth in demand for people who have the knowledge, these skills and these abilities to function within this arena of what we call Agile. This tremendous demand is not relegated to one or two geographical areas but as our next video shows us, is a demand that is worldwide.

We will see as we travel from continent to continent, country to country, and city to city, this insatiable appetite that is growing literally day by day, for these individuals who are skilled in agile.

You, who are interested in learning more about this subject and grabbing hold of it are positioning yourselves for extremely lucrative job positions in the future.

I encourage you to follow through with our courses and other courses that you find the help you grow in your knowledge and understanding of this amazing and exciting world that we call Agile. Grab onto it and run with it and achieve your prize.

Get motivated as you watch this next lesson.

Please sit back, watch, listen, learn, and understand.

We Are AGILE!

Is This Really Agile?

This topic that we are about to embark on is one that I find at times very frustrating. I work with many individuals who say that they are working in agile organizations, and whenever I ask them the question, “what does Agile mean in your organization?” I get answers that indicate they are not agile at all.

There seems to be many interpretations and misconceptions when it comes to this Arena of agile, especially in the information technology world. I sit back and wonder sometimes where did this all come from? And then upon further discussion, I realize that so many have never taken the time to really sit back and learn what this is all about.

Yes they read a book, they watched a webinar, they talked to a friend, and suddenly they know what “Agile” really is. They bring it to their organizations and we see the result, “utter failure”. They have never taken the time, and I am not just referring to people, but I am referring to organizations as well, they have never taken the time to understand the foundation of agile. This is what we are attempting to do in our courses here online. I am doing exactly this in our education Arena, as well as in our corporate structures. However, I know I need to spread this much further, so here I am sharing with you.

So listen closely and take notes and begin to understand the journey you need to go on.

Please sit back, watch, listen, learn, and understand.

We Are AGILE!

This Is Not Agile!

As we come close to the end of this course, “What is Agile, Part 1”, I like to hit this from another angle. Before we start talking about what agile really is, I always like to go back and talk about what agile is not.

I find that if I can eliminate some misconceptions and just plain wrong definitions about this Arena of agile, it will clear the way for me to actually give you the true identity of agile.

Why do I do this? I do this because I like to emphasize some statements that you probably hear all the time in relation to what people say agile is. You might be surprised when I make a statement and then say this is not agile. But I like to make people sit up and question what is being said by those around them as to what this subject of agile is all about. And to question others, you need to know the truth and that is what we are all about here.

So, please sit back, watch, listen, learn, and understand.

We Are AGILE!

Agile vs. Waterfall

We have finally come to our last lesson and topic within this course. We end up with this particular topic because it will give you is summarized View of agile versus waterfall. We pick this area to compare agile with because it is how most of our organizations have developed software and still do, and that is with a waterfall methodology.

By comparing these two you will suddenly have a better perspective of the results that we are getting from projects developed in this manner. It also will open your mind to the new and different ways that we are using in building our Agile projects in comparison to the old ways

There will be many comparisons shown in this short video and if you have not been involved in the agile product development world, you will probably miss a number of these. However, we will view it again in a later course and you will begin to see the differences as we talk through them and you will as well be able to compare them with the new level of knowledge that you have.

So, please sit back, watch, listen, learn, and understand.

We ARE Agile!