Module 5 · Software Engineering · Lesson 5 of 5
Agile Project Management
Fundamentals & Practice
From the Agile Manifesto to Scrum, Kanban, and metrics that matter
Agile Manifesto
Scrum
Kanban
User Stories
Metrics
Anti-Patterns
Lesson Agenda
Structure of today's session

Block 1 — Why Agile? (15 min)

From Waterfall pain points to the Agile Manifesto: the 4 values and 12 principles that changed software.

Block 2 — Scrum & Kanban (25 min)

Roles, artifacts, ceremonies, sprint lifecycle, Kanban boards, and WIP limits.

Block 3 — Stories, Metrics & Tools (20 min)

Writing user stories, estimation, velocity, burndown charts, and modern agile tools.

Goal

Apply agile frameworks to plan, execute, and improve iterative software delivery in team projects.

Waterfall vs Agile — Why the shift?
Understanding what problem agile solves

Waterfall

  • Sequential phases: Requirements → Design → Code → Test → Deploy
  • Changes are expensive after phase completion
  • Feedback comes only at the end
  • Works well for fixed-scope projects (bridges, hardware)

Problem: software requirements change constantly — 60% of features are rarely or never used (Standish Group).

Agile

  • Iterative cycles: build, measure, learn, repeat
  • Changes welcome, even late in development
  • Continuous feedback from real users
  • Deliver working software every 1-4 weeks

Result: faster time-to-value, reduced waste, higher stakeholder satisfaction.

Agile was born from real pain. In 2001, 17 software practitioners met in Utah and signed the Agile Manifesto — a reaction to years of failed projects caused by rigid, plan-driven approaches.

The Agile Manifesto — 4 Core Values
agilemanifesto.org (2001)
👥
Individuals and Interactions
over processes and tools
💻
Working Software
over comprehensive documentation
🤝
Customer Collaboration
over contract negotiation
🔄
Responding to Change
over following a plan

While there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more. Agile does not reject planning or documentation — it prioritizes adaptability and delivered value.

12 Agile Principles
The guiding principles behind the manifesto
#1Satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
#2Welcome changing requirements, even late in development.
#3Deliver working software frequently (weeks, not months).
#4Business and developers must work together daily.
#5Build projects around motivated individuals. Trust them.
#6Face-to-face conversation is the most efficient communication.
#7Working software is the primary measure of progress.
#8Sustainable development — maintain a constant pace.
#9Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.
#10Simplicity: maximize the amount of work not done.
#11Self-organizing teams produce the best results.
#12Reflect regularly and adjust behavior accordingly.

Principles #3, #7, and #12 are the backbone of Scrum: deliver frequently, measure with working software, and retrospect to improve.

Scrum Framework
The most popular agile framework (used by 87% of agile teams — State of Agile 2023)

Roles

  • Product Owner: owns the backlog, maximizes value
  • Scrum Master: facilitates process, removes blockers
  • Dev Team: self-organizing, cross-functional (3-9 people)

Artifacts

  • Product Backlog: ordered list of everything needed
  • Sprint Backlog: items selected for the sprint + plan
  • Increment: sum of completed items (potentially shippable)

Events

  • Sprint Planning: what + how for the sprint
  • Daily Scrum: 15 min sync (not a status report)
  • Sprint Review: demo the increment
  • Retrospective: inspect and adapt the process

A Sprint is time-boxed (1-4 weeks). Every sprint must produce a potentially releasable increment — that is the Scrum contract.

The Sprint Lifecycle
A 2-week sprint from planning to retrospective
📋
Planning
4h max
🔨
Development
1-4 weeks
📊
Daily Scrum
15 min/day
🎯
Review
Demo
🔄
Retro
Improve

Sprint Planning

Input: Product Backlog (prioritized by PO)

Output: Sprint Goal + Sprint Backlog

The team selects items they can commit to delivering within the sprint.

Sprint Retrospective

Format: What went well? What didn't? What to improve?

The most important ceremony — this is where continuous improvement happens. No blame, only learning.

User Stories & Estimation
How to write requirements that teams can deliver

User Story Format

user-story.md

Estimation Techniques

POINTS
Story Points (Fibonacci)
1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 — relative complexity, not hours. A 5-point story is ~2.5x harder than a 2-point story.
POKER
Planning Poker
Each team member independently estimates, then discusses differences. Reduces anchoring bias.
T-SHIRT
T-Shirt Sizing
XS, S, M, L, XL — quick, low-friction estimation for early backlog grooming.
Kanban — Visualize, Limit, Flow
Continuous flow instead of time-boxed sprints

To Do

FEATURE
User authentication API
FEATURE
Dashboard charts
TECH DEBT
Refactor DB queries

In Progress (WIP: 2)

BUG
Fix session timeout
FEATURE
Payment integration

Done

FEATURE
User registration
INFRA
CI/CD pipeline setup

Core Principles

  • Visualize work: everyone sees the full picture
  • Limit WIP: finish before starting new work
  • Manage flow: optimize throughput, not utilization

Why WIP Limits Matter

Studies show that limiting WIP reduces cycle time by 30-50%. Context switching wastes ~20% of developer productivity. Stop starting, start finishing.

Agile Metrics — What to measure
Measure outcomes, not outputs. Flow, not hours.
VEL
Velocity — 34 pts/sprint
Story points completed per sprint. Tracks team capacity over time.
LT
Lead Time — 12 days avg
From request to delivery. Measures total time to value for the customer.
CT
Cycle Time — 4.2 days avg
From "in progress" to "done". Measures team efficiency.
THR
Throughput — 8 items/week
Number of items completed per time unit. Predictability indicator.

Burndown Chart

Plots remaining work vs time within a sprint. If the line is above the ideal, the team may not complete all committed items.

Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD)

Shows items in each state over time. Widening bands indicate bottlenecks. The best Kanban diagnostic tool.

Agile Tools — Modern Options
Tools support the process, they don't define it
FREE
GitLab Boards
Built into GitLab. Issue boards, milestones, labels e CI/CD integrado. Usado nos projetos do Inteli.
ENTERPRISE
Jira
Industry standard. Scrum + Kanban boards, advanced reporting, integrations. Can be over-engineered.
MODERN
Linear
Fast, keyboard-first. Cycles, projects, triage. Loved by engineering teams for its speed.
SIMPLE
Trello
Visual Kanban boards. Low learning curve. Good for small teams and non-technical stakeholders.
Definition of Done (DoD)
The shared agreement on what "done" really means

A strong DoD prevents

definition-of-done.yaml

Without DoD

  • "It works on my machine" syndrome
  • Technical debt accumulates silently
  • Sprint velocity becomes meaningless
  • Reviews have no objective criteria

With DoD

  • Every increment meets quality standards
  • Code review, tests, docs are non-negotiable
  • Stakeholders trust the team's output
  • Less rework, more predictability
Agile Anti-Patterns
Things that break agile — avoid these in your projects
ZOMBIE
Zombie Scrum
All the ceremonies, none of the value. Sprints happen but nothing truly ships. The team goes through the motions.
HERO
Hero Culture
One person carries the team. Knowledge silos form. When the hero leaves, the project collapses.
SCOPE
Sprint Scope Creep
PO adds work mid-sprint. The team cannot focus. Commitments become meaningless.
RETRO
Skipping Retros
"We're too busy to reflect." Without retrospectives, the same mistakes repeat every sprint.
DAILY
Status Meeting
Daily Scrum becomes a report to the manager instead of a sync for the team. People disengage.
AGILE
Agile in Name Only
"We do agile" but deadlines are fixed, scope is fixed, team has no autonomy. Waterfall with standups.

The #1 sign of fake agile: the team has no power to say no. If the PO, manager, or stakeholder can override sprint commitments, you don't have Scrum — you have a to-do list with extra meetings.

Agile Checklist for Your Project
Click to check off items as you implement them

Process & Ceremonies

  • Product Backlog created and prioritized by PO
  • Sprint length defined (1-4 weeks)
  • Sprint Planning happens at start of every sprint
  • Daily Scrum (15 min max, team-focused)
  • Sprint Review with stakeholder demo
  • Retrospective with actionable improvements

Quality & Delivery

  • Definition of Done agreed by the whole team
  • User stories follow "As a... I want... So that..."
  • Estimation done with Planning Poker or T-Shirt
  • Board (Kanban/Scrum) visible and updated daily
  • Velocity or cycle time tracked per sprint
  • WIP limits enforced on the board
Key Takeaways
Agile Project Management
1
Agile values people, collaboration, and adaptability
4 values, 12 principles — a mindset, not a methodology
2
Scrum: sprints, roles, and ceremonies create rhythm
PO + SM + Dev Team, 1-4 week iterations, inspect & adapt
3
Kanban: visualize flow, limit WIP, reduce cycle time
Continuous delivery, no prescribed roles, pull-based system
4
Measure what matters: velocity, lead time, throughput
Metrics drive decisions — burndown and CFD are your friends
5
Avoid anti-patterns: fake agile is worse than no agile
Team autonomy + real retros + Definition of Done = real agile

Further Reading

  • Scrum Guide: scrumguides.org (free, 13 pages)
  • Agile Manifesto: agilemanifesto.org
  • Kanban: "Kanban" by David J. Anderson

End of Module 5

You've covered Testing, Data Structures, OS, Security, and Agile. Apply these together in your distributed systems project.

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