4 Agile Values to Apply as a Product Manager

Discover the profound influence of Agile Values on software development, analysed through a compelling case study of Spotify's pioneering approach. Uncover how Agile Values, including prioritising individuals over tools, working software over documentation, customer collaboration, and adaptability, redefine organisational dynamics. 

In a time when eCommerce was on a steady but exponential rise, such methodologies could not cope with fast-changing customer demands. They still cannot!

So, the thinkers of the Scrum Alliance discussed on changing this approach to a set of values that believed in compatibility.
According to the official agilemanfesto.org website, the change was to put forth “a set of values based on trust and respect for each other and promoting organizational models based on people, collaboration, and building the types of organizational communities in which we would want to work.”

These are largely translated to four Agile values. And we will discuss them in relation to product management. 

What are Agile Values?

Agile values are a set of four comprehensive values that was put forth by the Scrum Alliance team. These values were for guiding software development methodologies.

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation
3. Customer collaboration over contractual negotiation
4. Responding to change over following a plan

If you are new to this concept, you may check some relevant Agile/Scrum courses to follow along with this blog.

Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools

Prioritising individuals and interactions as a product owner or product manager means placing emphasis on the people involved. These comprise the product team, stakeholders, and users. The importance is given more to them over the tools or rigid processes used.

Example: During product development, the focus remains on fostering collaboration and communication within the team. Instead of relying solely on project management tools, frequent face-to-face meetings or video calls ensure everyone understands their roles. They can share ideas and collaborate effectively. This approach encourages transparency, quick issue resolution, and innovative problem-solving.

Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation

Agile values working software – tangible, functional, and deliverable products – more than extensive documentation. This approach ensures rapid product development and aligns with delivering value.

Example: Rather than spending excessive time creating exhaustive documentation detailing every aspect of the product, Agile product managers focus on delivering a minimum viable product (MVP). That only contains essential functionalities. 

They prioritise rapid development and iterations, allowing users to interact with the actual software early on, gather feedback, and make improvements based on real-world usage.

Customer Collaboration over Contractual Negotiation

Agile in product management emphasises collaborating closely with customers throughout the development process instead of solely relying on contractual agreements. It is more convenient to meet changing customer needs through iterative feedback.

Example: Agile product managers regularly engage customers, seeking their input and feedback. This collaboration ensures that customer needs are understood and addressed in the product's evolution. 

Product teams conduct user interviews, gather feedback through beta testing, and analyse usage data to continuously improve the product. That comes in line with customer preferences and expectations.

Responding to Change over Following a Plan

Agile values being adaptable and responsive to change rather than rigidly sticking to initial plans.

Example: Agile product management allows for flexibility in accommodating changing market demands or shifting priorities. If customer feedback or market trends suggest the need for feature modifications or additions, Agile product teams embrace these changes. They adjust the product roadmap, reprioritise tasks, and pivot quickly to deliver value where it's most needed. 

Case Study of Spotify Implementing Agile Values 

To explore agile values, we have found out that Spotify deserves mention here. 

Spotify pioneered a new way of structuring large agile organisations. It’s largely known as the Spotify Model as on the paper - Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds (Henrik Kniberg & Anders Ivarsson, 2012). 

This model made it work within their culture, openly evangelised these ideas, and inspired many other companies. Before diving into the relation between Agile values and the Spotify Model, let’s look at the organisation structure that led to the implementation. 

Aspect	Squads	Tribes	Chapters	Guilds
Description	Small, cross-functional teams (5-10 people)	Collections of related squads (<100 people)	Groups of individuals with similar skills across squads	Wider communities of interest across the organisation
Focus	Specific product area and long-term mission	Working in related areas	Skill and knowledge sharing laterally	Sharing practices, tools, patterns across areas
Responsibility	End-to-end responsibility like a mini-startup	Organisational incubator for squads	Chapter leads oversee members	Often coordinated by a guild coordinator
Autonomy	Given autonomy and ownership	Positioned to feel like a startup incubator	Facilitates skill and knowledge sharing	Helps share practices, tools, patterns across areas

…In relation to the Agile Values 

Customer Focus

The squad structure with long-term product missions is oriented around delivering value to customers. Squads have autonomy to focus on their mission and experiment with things like MVPs and A/B testing to best meet user needs. This aligns with agile's value of prioritizing customer satisfaction.

Rapid Delivery

It allows small teams to quickly develop, test and release features without bureaucracy or handoffs. This enables faster time-to-market and delivery of working software, aligning with agile principles.

Embracing Change

The self-organising squad structure and lack of strict processes allows Spotify to rapidly reallocate people and priorities. They can quickly adapt products and systems architecture to changing user needs.

Technical Excellence

The chapters/guilds and lightweight system owner roles balance autonomy with good engineering practices. Rather than ivory-tower architects, they take an enabling approach - helping squads build things the right way. This fulfils agile's value of technical excellence without over-burdening teams.

Continuous Improvement

Spotify uses techniques like frequent surveys, retrospectives, and improvement boards to reflect and tune their agile approach over time. This continual focus on inspecting and adapting aligns with agile values.

What You Learnt of Agile Values Today

• Agile Values encompass prioritising individuals, working software, customer collaboration, and adaptability.
• Spotify's Agile Model showcases alignment with Agile Values in customer focus, rapid delivery, change embracement, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.