Is agile enough for a startup?
I like the concept of agile for a startup, but the challenge is doing solutions that needs to be re-done because you didn’t have the full picture.
Let’s go to our Value Proposition in our example, Production of film, Video and TV. On a high level is this rather simple as the five sub-processes are all the same.
But when we go into more detail is it very different. If we are developing our own software, the we can add functionality more easily than if we by wrong type COTS and configuration.
If you have the business knowledge as a developer, then you know:
The process on detailed levels differs a lot if it’s a narrative or non-narrative story, and therefore requirements for applications in development and pre-production.
The post-production process differs depending on type of production and how it’s viewed and where.
The difference in scale of the production between a 30s Instagram commercial and and a 10 hour TV-series should not be underestimated.
Broadcasting a live event differs a lot compared to, recording a live event for later publication or a production where you can do re-takes and edit in post-production
Does the production use actors who need model releases and get royalties?
Fixed fees instead of hourly rate introduce a risk that needs to be managed in production.
Different types of financing will impact the process, as those providing grants require certain type of documentation.
Different processes to manage employees vs contractors in production and rented equipment vs owned equipment.
But how do you manage those undefined, but obvious requirements, when developers don’t know film business, and running an agile project?
You end up in a similar situation when looking at COTS solution without business knowledge. Either the products you chose are not scalable & flexible enough, or you end up paying to much for a to large solution, not getting a profitable business.
The hidden business knowledge is the reason why we need more than plain agile for a startup, a greenfield solution for an established company or a total make-over of existing systems.