Agile is Not Dead and it Never Killed Waterfall

I've been reading posts about Agile being dead for years now. Those arguments seem to be picking up and my best guess as to why: It gets you clicks by manufacturing controversy.

The main arguments I continuously run into with these articles all stem from fundamental misunderstandings of what Agile is. It's just as misinformed as the (incorrect) notion that Agile killed Waterfall.

These misconceptions stem from too many projects that are AINO/WINO (Agile/Waterfall In-Name-Only), resulting in bad experiences. I've heard a common refrain from teams over the years: "We're hybrid agile," or "We're scrum-like" or "We've come up with our own agile approach..." These are red flag indications that the team does not have a clear understanding of the Agile principles or the Agile manifesto.

You may as well declare "Hammers are dead" if you hit your thumb too many times. In fact, the "Agile is Dead" posts are equivalent to viral posts made over the past decade from confused parents about how "they changed math." As a kid, I remember my own parents confused by the approaches I had learned in school - but they knew, as most know, math hasn't "changed." The methods my parents learned are just as applicable as what I learned which is just as applicable as what kids may learn today.

There's power in learning the multiple approaches and knowing when to use the right tool. Same goes for Agile, Waterfall, Scrum, Kanban, and whatever new methodologies come our way.

So, I'll simply say:

1. Agile is not dead. Waterfall is not dead.
2. Both are still very valuable and relevant.
3. Knowing the values of each is important.
4. Knowing when to use either is an important skill.*
5. Be wary of those who advocate against learning something by claiming it is "dead". They are sacrificing your growth to get more views.

*Also, importantly: Agile and Waterfall are not opposites. It's an important call out, but I've not made it earlier because they are often presented as opposite - with Agile being a response to Waterfall. It isn't. Agile is a set of principles that guide how Engineering Teams should approach the discipline of Engineering. In my opinion, to claim "Agile is dead" is to read through the Agile Manifesto and Principles in reverse and to suggest the statements in reverse are better than what Agile advocates. As an example, Agile states we prioritize individuals and interactions over processes and tools. If Agile is dead, this suggests it is better to prioritize processes and tools over individuals and interactions.