Abstract:
Agile methodologies openly value customer collaboration. However, customers may not openly value the term Agile methodologies. Consequently some Agile practitioners have resorted to Agile Undercover, a process of being Agile internally while keeping the customer unaware of the project’s Agile nature. This process creates tension between the theoretical basis of the Agile method and the need to carefully evolve customer expectations of their own commitment. We explore Agile Undercover in the context of the Indian software industry, and discuss both why some practitioners don’t mention the ‘A’ word, and how these practitioners attempt to stay credibly Agile in such scenarios.