Do Agilists Understand Requirements?

by James Robertson

Business needs change, the competitive landscape changes, so system requirements must also be able to change if we want to deliver software that satisfies our customers. That's agile development in a nutshell, right? But what if we're so focused on the rapid development of working software "trees" that we don't see the "forest" of business requirements? In this issue we debate whether agilists really get requirements -- and what to do about it if they don't. Learn how to encourage the software "hallucinations" that produce breakthrough products and squelch those that lead developers down treacherous paths. Hear how agile projects can incorporate high-level planning to identify the real needs of the business - and still avoid "analysis paralysis." Discover requirements methods that keep it light and get it right.