The Art of Agile Development

Find a Mentor

As you adapt XP to your situation, you’re likely to run into problems and challenges. I provide solutions for a wide variety of common problems, but you’re still likely to encounter situations that I don’t cover. For these situations, you need a mentor: an outside expert who has mastered the art of agile development.

Note

If you can get an expert to coach your team directly, that’s even better. However, even master coaches benefit from an outside perspective when they encounter problems.

The hardest part of finding a mentor is finding someone with enough experience in agile development. Sources to try include:

• Other groups practicing XP in your organization

• Other companies practicing XP in your area

• A local XP/Agile user group

• XP/Agile consultants

• The XP mailing list: [e-mail]

I can’t predict every problem you’ll encounter, but I can help you see when things are going wrong. Throughout this book, I’ve scattered advice such as: “If you can’t demonstrate progress weekly, it’s a clear sign that your project is in trouble. Slow down for a week and figure out what’s going wrong. Ask your mentor for help.”

When I tell you to ask your mentor for help, I mean that the correct solution depends on the details of your situation. Your mentor can help you troubleshoot the problem and offer situation-specific advice.