Using Agile to make the best Tuna sandwich

Sadly it was not that easy. Some of you may have recognized the rudimentary description of a Waterfall model which worked really well in mechanical and civil engineering projects but led to highly dissatisfied clients when it came to software.

The picture above is infamous as an example of how communication silos or rigid requirements lead to a game of broken telephone in a Software Development LifeCycle (SDLC). It was time for a re-think, a disruption if you will.

So what does a tuna sandwich have to do with my rant about how every other person is an Agile coach, or company (start-up or big bank) is touting their Agile processes? My wife is vegetarian so I get the honour of making a tuna sandwich for myself and the kids for lunch at least once a week. My daughter loves it, my son will sometimes compare it to Subway’s version to annoy me and I need something to eat alongside my favourite bag of kettle chips. There was a time when I did not know how to make one. I can cook to feed people, make 4 types of egg, saag paneer from a bag of spinach and a carton of milk, stuffed parathas or kimchi fried rice with shrimp for lunch. I felt overqualified but had clear requirements. So I tried doing it the right way

Week 1: Found a recipe (actually ~300 on youtube) and wasted 3 days looking for the right ingredients. We all had salami sandwiches instead.

Week 2: Decided to make it from the instructions on the can. Open can, pour into blender with olive oil, salt and pepper, blend, put in toast with cheese and serve. Rejected by all.

Week 3: Use tuna which is soaked in water, drain water, add onions, celery, salt and pepper, blend, serve on toast. A few bites were enjoyed (because we were starving that day) but most of it was left.

Then it hit me. I was being so Waterfall about it. The whole world is going Agile and I am still stuck in 1990 (the music from then is still the best). I had never considered involving my kids and was consistently failing to produce an edible sandwich. Here comes the agile transformation:

It is easy for those familiar with delivering software products that I went through the usual steps of learning from the client, iteration, making workable versions, A/B testing to see which variables give desired outcomes, feedback incorporation and having my kids (client) involved at the right stage in each iteration. Our stand ups were few but regular and limited to a minute of complaining in the kitchen. I figured out what they were disliking first and then calibrated slowly for what they liked. There needs to be a workable product that can be improved. We cannot give up till we get the first barely usable semblance of a solution. Then the fun begins and positive feedback comes fast and furious.

I guess I can never get rid of Agile in any facet of my life. This is is also why its so wonderful. As humans we learn by listening in small chunks, putting knowledge to action, testing it and then trying while tweaking to get to the right answer. That is really the point of Agile. Sure you can follow all the processes and get certified to run scrums like rugby coaches; a lot of that is useful and has many gems hidden inside.

But remember what Agile is about. Getting to that promised solution that brings satisfaction. May you succeed till you come to the next wrench in your plans.

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