Kent Beck said the goal of agile software development is to heal the divide between the business and development, and he was right!
The Bill of Rights - created by Kent, Ward Cunningham, Ron Jeffries, and others — defines complementary expectations: the customer’s rights and the builder’s rights.
When both sides know their rights and honor the other’s, collaboration replaces conflict. The customer has the right to a plan, to see progress, and to change priorities. Builders have the right to know what’s needed, to produce quality work, and to ask for help. These aren’t rules, they’re agreements that create balance and trust.
When teams embrace them, the divide shrinks.
Discussions for your team
- Which rights are we honoring, and which are we ignoring?
- Where do business and builders clash most often?
- How can we strengthen collaboration?