The Agile Movement Is Shrinking but the Agile Mindset is Growing

Author: Jurgen Appelo

The recent Global Scrum Gathering in Amsterdam was less than half the size it was in earlier years, mirroring the trend observed at Agile2023 in Orlando. I haven't experienced a well-attended local community meetup in a long time, and some annual agile conferences have yet to make a comeback after Covid. When I attended the XP 2023 event, it felt like a funeral.

As a movement, Agile is shrinking.

Meanwhile, the pace of change continues to accelerate. Some of the most sought-after skills these days are collaboration and agility. While global demand for agile coaches and transformation leads (as a separate role) has declined, the need for proficiency in agile ways of working (as a skill) has surged. (Source: Business Agility Institute)

As a mindset, business agility is growing.

Check out the video I created this week featuring my digital avatar, Digi Me. I can call upon his talents to record any promo video or e-learning module that I don't have time for myself:

(This video is fake. This is NOT me.)

The value of my recorded webinars has just been reduced to zero.

The pressure to be agile has never been greater. I need to recalibrate as a writer, designer, speaker, and entrepreneur. Artificial intelligence is encroaching on these domains and many others. I see trends such as generalists replacing specialists, copilots turning into team members, and management layers being automated. There is no room for complacency as the bar is raised for everyone.

With the help of my teammates ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Digi Me, I created a new keynote talk called, "AI AI AI - What Happens to Our Ways of Working?" that might help you reflect on your future.

Join me on November 8+9 at the unFIXcon in Berlin (and the two-day workshop before). I will be talking with like-minded people about reinventing our community, reinventing our business models, and reinventing ourselves.

Not another agile conference.