What is Adaptive Software Development (ASD)?

Adaptive Software Development (ASD) emphasizes a mission-driven approach, focusing on the core objectives of the project rather than rigid plans. ASD encourages teams to speculate on solutions, collaborate closely with end-users for rapid feedback, and continuously learn to adapt and improve their work throughout short, iterative development cycles.

If you've worked in software development for any number of years you're likely to be familiar with several different software development processes, or methodologies that businesses use to manage software projects. The most likely candidates are Scrum, Kanban, or Waterfall - although no one wants to admit they're still using a waterfall-based methodology.

"Agile" methodologies were born out of the need to break away from slow, process-driven development that was difficult to adapt to the fast-paced software world and instead to prioritize individuals and their interactions over rigid processes, emphasizing working software instead of extensive documentation.

Although Scrum and Kanban are by far the most popular methodologies, at least, that I've come across in my time in the industry, there are many different methodologies that adopt similar, agile principles. I don't have a strong desire to label everything my team and I do, I feel very strongly that it's important to adopt and change "best practice" to fully suit your needs as a development team. Recently I've seen Adaptive Software Development bubble (ASD) to the surface, something that I've never come across before.

In digging further I couldn't find a complete and clear guide on what ASD is, how it compares to Scrum and Kanban, and what steps one would take to implement it. So this is my attempt to fill that void.

Origins of Adaptive Software Development

ASD is not new, by any means it appears to be one of the early agile methodologies, it finds its roots in the early 1990s with the work of Jim Highsmith and Sam Bayer. It stemmed from their experiences with Rapid Application Development (RAD), which prioritized speed but often lacked the flexibility to handle complex projects. ASD sought to strike a balance between rapid delivery, continuous adaptation, and the ability to manage complexity.

Core Principles of Adaptive Software Development

ASD is built upon a few fundamental principles that guide its approach to software development. It focuses more on results, as opposed to the tasks that make up those results. Or to put it another way, it focuses on delivering on a valuable mission, rather than adhering to a strict plan. It also enforces just enough rules to ensure an effective system, but few enough to ensure flexibility. I'm sure these core principles will resonate strongly with many software developers:

Change is Inevitable: ASD embraces the reality that requirements, technologies, and market conditions are in a state of flux. Rigid plans are often counterproductive, and adaptability is critical.

Continuous Learning: ASD emphasizes learning throughout the development process. Teams collect feedback, analyze results, and adjust their approach iteratively. This personally resonates with me on so many levels. Not only do you learn more about the requirements, limitations, and expectations of a new feature as you're working on it, but you also learn how not to implement something. Having the flexibility to re-think is essential to high-quality software.

Collaboration: Successful software development in a dynamic environment depends on open communication and collaboration among team members, clients, and stakeholders. Of course, this is absolutely essential for success and this is where all agile methodologies shine.

What are the three phases of Adaptive Software Development?

ASD employs an iterative process that emphasizes short cycles and continuous feedback:

The three phases of Adaptive Software Development are Speculate, Collaborate, and Learn.

Speculate

Initiation: The project is kicked off by defining its mission, key objectives, and high-level requirements.
Adaptive Cycle Planning: Rather than extensive upfront planning, the team establishes short cycles based on features and estimated timeboxes.

Collaborate

Teamwork: Like most agile methodologies, ASD encourages a collaborative environment where everyone has a voice. Cross-functional teams work together to ensure diverse perspectives throughout the development process.
User Involvement: Another place where ASD really shines over other agile methodologies. Specific focus on getting user feedback early and often. Their input is critical in driving iterations and improving the product.

Learn
- Concurrent Testing: Testing is performed throughout the development life cycle to identify issues early and minimize risks. Think shift-left QA.
- Reviews and Retrospectives: Teams regularly reflect on what's working well and what can be improved. Lessons learned are actively applied to future cycles.

What are the advantages of Adaptive Software Development?

By now the main advantages of ASD should be pretty clear. It's flexible, with the ability to adapt to changing requirements and priorities. It ensures transparency and collaboration across the entire team including stakeholders outside of the development team and reduces risk with a shift-left mentality to QA. But I think these are advantages to most agile frameworks, where ASD really brings home the bacon is with a specific focus on learning culture and end-user involvement.

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"Fail often and fail fast while still delivering excellence"

By working closer with end-users you can fail often and fail fast while still delivering excellence. Why spend time speculating on how you think users are going to use a feature or guess what users find the most valuable? Get them involved and get it right.

Another advantage I really like is the focus on mission as opposed to a regimented plan. If your team is thinking less like: "My goal is to complete these 5 stories within the next two weeks" and more like: "Our goal is to deliver an amazing new shopping cart experience to our users", that change can be quite profound.

What are the disadvantages of Adaptive Software Development?

Adaptive Software Development isn't going to be perfect for every environment, some disadvantages to consider are:

Less Predictability: The inherent adaptability and iterative nature of ASD can make it harder to predict long-term timelines and budgets.
Documentation: Emphasis on change can sometimes lead to less emphasis on detailed documentation.
Team Maturity: ASD requires a high degree of team collaboration, self-organization, and problem-solving abilities.
Project Scope Management: Constant adaptation requires careful project scope management to avoid scope creep.

Given these disadvantages you might be best to avoid ASD in the following scenarios:

Projects with Well-Defined Requirements: If you have a project where the requirements are crystal clear from the outset and unlikely to change significantly, ASD's flexibility might be unnecessary. A more structured approach like Waterfall might be more efficient in these cases.
Projects with Strict Deadlines or Budgets: ASD embraces change, which can make it difficult to stick to strict deadlines or budgets. If these constraints are non-negotiable, a methodology with more upfront planning might be better.
Teams Lacking Experience with Agile: ASD demands a high level of collaboration and self-organization. If your team is new to Agile principles, starting with a more structured framework like Scrum could provide a smoother transition.
Safety-Critical Systems: When the consequences of software failure are severe (think medical devices, aviation software), the rigorous planning and testing of traditional methodologies might be more necessary than ASD's adaptability.
Limited User Involvement: ASD heavily relies on continuous feedback from users. If you can't get consistent engagement from stakeholders or end-users, the iterative approach might get derailed.

Adaptive Software Development vs. Scrum vs. Kanban

All three methodologies fall under the umbrella of Agile development as previously discussed so there are inevitably many similarities. In the previous sections we've already highlighted some of the areas where ASD shines above Scrum and Kanban, let's take a more detailed look at their differences.

Feature	ASD	Scrum	Kanban
Planning	Adaptive cycles based on features	Time-boxed iterations called Sprints	Continuous flow, focused on individual work items
Change management	Highly adaptable within a cycle	Changes deferred to subsequent Sprints (unless critical)	Accommodates change, emphasis on limiting Work In Progress (WIP)
Roles	Fewer defined roles, flexible team structure	Clear roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team	Collective responsibility without clearly defined roles
Meetings	As needed, focus on collaboration	Defined meetings: Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective	Some defined meetings, not strictly enforced: Delivery planning, daily check-ins, etc.
Documentation	Light documentation as needed	Documentation as a product outcome, but not overly prescriptive	No prescribed documentation
Metrics	Outcome-focused (value delivered)	Velocity, burndown, team, and customer satisfaction	Lead time, cycle time & throughput

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On Mobile? View the table in Google Sheets.

Key Differences in a Nutshell

ASD: Emphasizes speculation, heavy collaboration, and continuous learning throughout cycles. Ideal for high-uncertainty projects and evolving requirements.
Scrum: Provides more structure with its defined roles, sprints, and meetings. Well-suited when requirements are relatively clearer and priorities can be set for a sprint duration.
Kanban: Emphasizes continuous flow, visualization of work, and limiting work in progress. Great for managing operational workflows or when rapid response to change is critical.

Can They Co-Exist?

As I stated at the start of this article, I'm a strong believer in the right tool for the job, if one of these approaches doesn't perfectly fit your needs then chop and change to ensure you and your team can be as effective as possible. Some suggestions could be:

ASD with Scrum Elements: An ASD project could use daily stand-up meetings inspired by Scrum, to enhance team coordination within an adaptive cycle.
ASD with Kanban: Teams practicing ASD can visualize their feature-based cycles on a Kanban board to better track progress.

How to get started with Adaptive Software Development?

When researching ASD another area I found lacking was tips on how to get started implementing ASD in your team/organisation. I'm certainly no expert in ASD, but I have implemented other agile principles in several teams in the past. This is how I'd go about adopting Adaptive Software Development today.

Team Preparation and Mindset

Training: Ensure everyone on the team has a deep understanding of ASD principles and how they differ from other approaches.
Shift in Mindset: Emphasize flexibility, collaboration, and a continuous learning approach. Be prepared to let go of the need for rigid upfront plans.
Communication Skills: ASD relies heavily on open communication between team members and stakeholders. Invest in fostering excellent communication skills across the team.

Project Setup

Mission and Vision: Instead of detailed specifications, start by defining a clear project mission and overarching goals. This provides direction amidst changing circumstances.
Initial High-Level Requirements: Gather the most important requirements known at the project's outset. Be prepared to evolve them as the project progresses.
Team Structure: Form a cross-functional team with the necessary skills (development, testing, design, etc.).
User Groups: Prepare a group, or groups of users to assist in iterative feedback and validation of your approaches
Tooling: Consider project management tools that support dynamic planning and collaborative workflows. (Trello, Asana, Jira, etc., can be adapted for this purpose)

Form a cross-functional team with the necessary skills

Get going

With everyone trained on the core principles, a clear vision, and the right team in place, it's time to take action. Start small with a pilot project until you find your feet and ensure Leadership is fully aligned with the expectations of your new approach.

1. Speculate Phase

Adaptive Cycle Planning: Divide the project into short cycles (iterations), usually of a few weeks. Identify the key features to be tackled in each cycle based on priorities.
Timeboxing: Set a time limit for each cycle. This maintains a sense of urgency and reduces the risk of scope creep.

2. Collaborate Phase

Foster Teamwork: Break down silos and encourage everyone on the team to participate and share their ideas.
Regular Communication: Implement practices like daily stand-ups or frequent progress updates for enhanced communication and transparency.
User Input: Actively collect user feedback through demonstrations, prototypes, or testing with your user group(s)

3. Learn Phase

Testing Throughout: Don't relegate testing to the end. Perform testing early and regularly within each cycle.
Iteration Reviews: At the end of each cycle, review the outcomes and assess what went well and what can be improved.
Retrospectives: Facilitate regular retrospective sessions to openly discuss challenges, and successes, and identify process improvements for future cycles.

Even though ASD tends to be quite documentation-light, I believe it's important to maintain enough documentation to make knowledge transfer and project continuity possible so ensure to feed this into your processes.

ASD demands a high degree of trust and commitment within the team. The entire team must believe in the vision for the end result but also in the process that'll get them there.

Conclusion

Adaptive Software Development (ASD) offers a compelling alternative for projects where flexibility and continuous learning are paramount. If you're facing uncertain requirements, evolving market needs, or want to maximize end-user value, ASD's focus on speculation, collaboration, and rapid iteration can be transformative.

ASD's success depends heavily on a collaborative team mindset, open communication, and the ability to adapt to change quickly. It may not be ideal for scenarios where requirements are well-defined upfront, strict deadlines and budgets are non-negotiable, or teams are less experienced with agile principles.

Whether you adopt ASD wholeheartedly or blend its elements with other Agile methodologies, the core principles are valuable for any software development team. By prioritizing adaptability, user feedback, and continuous learning, you can increase your chances of delivering software that truly meets the ever-evolving needs of your users and the market.