Agile methodology has become a huge tech thing in the last 10-15 years. Created back in 2001, 17 technologists wrote up something called the Agile Manifesto. The Agile Manifesto consists of 4 principles on how to approach projects and to be more efficient. In the technology industry, Agile is broken up into 2 primary approaches: Scrum and Kanban.
Scrum is typically used for projects that can have a set deadline within 2 to 4 weeks. This method allows for large projects to be broken down into sprints (timeboxes of 2 to 4 weeks). With this, more deliverables can be completed and delivered to stakeholders.
Kanban is an agile method for longer-term projects that are difficult to be broken down into smaller sections. It utilizes a Kanban board, which sorts tasks into 3 categories: To-do, Doing, Done. For maximum utility, this is done via post-it notes on a big whiteboard. This way, there is a physical element of moving a task from one stage to another.
Just because agile is commonly used in tech, doesn’t mean that it’s methods don’t apply to entrepreneurs and startups. Here are 3 things from the Agile methodology that can be applied for any startup.
Work in Sprints
Rather than having a to-do list of 50+ tasks that span 3-6 months, break it up into sprints. Each sprint can have however many tasks that feel manageable. This also sets a specific timeline for when those need to be completed. This way, you have more chances to catch potential mistakes and readjust before it’s too late. It’s important to note that Sprints are usually successful with projects that can be put into a 2-4 week timebox. Deliverables are presented to stakeholders at the end of every sprint, making the overall project more efficient.
At the end of every sprint, the team does a sprint retrospective. This allows them to go over what went well and how to adjust for the next sprint. So instead of having 1 large deliverable that may or may not be up to what was expected at the end of 6 months, working in sprints allows for multiple deliverables that have constantly been revised to better fit the end goal.
Work in a small team
In the Scrum method, there are usually only 7 members on a team for each sprint. 1 product owner, 1 scrum master, and 5 development team members. It limits how many people are working on the project at a time and allows for better communication to happen. The product owner is the key stakeholder of the project. They are the one delegating their vision to the rest of the team. The scrum master is the one that facilitates communication and coaches the team through agile development. The rest of the team are the ones executing project tasks.
Having too many people on a team can lead to frustration and too many opinions. Limiting the number of people on a project means more efficiency and less miscommunication, which is imperative for any startup.
Kanban organization
Kanban is a method of tracking tasks visually. This is a different way of agile than Scrum. At the beginning stages of becoming an entrepreneur, there is a long list of things that need to be done. The Kanban organization method allows for work to be tracked at every stage. The 3 categories make it easy to have a visual layout of what’s urgent, what’s currently being worked on, and what has already been completed. The flow of work done can easily be tracked and reduces overall time of a project from beginning to end.
For entrepreneurs, utilizing an agile method can help with being able to have deliverables prepared quickly while working with a small team. Of course, Agile may not fit everyone’s style. However, at the very least, these tools allow for progress monitoring and guidance when first starting out.
Opinions expressed by AsianBlurb contributors are their own.
Francisca Li (born 9/15/2001) is a student at the University of Texas at Dallas studying Business with a concentration in IT and Finance. She is a freelance graphic designer and branding expert as well as a co-founder of Orenda Change.
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