Agile Isn’t Dead — You’ve Just Been Doing it Wrong
- jimapodaca
- Apr 21
- 4 min read
Nineteen—is the number I stopped counting at when I scrolled through what seemed like an endless list of articles containing the words “agile is dead” in the title. And I get it. It's a provocative headline—it taps into the frustration of leaders who’ve invested time, money, and trust into Agile practices only to see little or no return. But here’s the truth:
Agile isn’t dead. Most companies have just never seen what good Agile looks like.
And I don’t blame them. What passes for Agile in many organizations is often little more than rebranded chaos: standups that lack purpose, retrospectives that go nowhere, backlogs full of noise, and teams sprinting but never delivering real value. If that’s your experience with Agile, it’s no wonder you’re ready to write it off.
But before you do, let me offer you another perspective—one that could change the way you lead, build, and scale.
The Real Problem: Agile in Name Only
The problem isn’t with Agile. The problem is with Agile theater—where teams go through the motions without truly embracing the principles of agility.
According to the 2023 State of Agile Report, when asked, where is agile struggling:
41% said there is not enough leadership participation.
37% said business teams simply don’t understand what Agile is or what it can do.
33% of teams don’t feel empowered to be self organizing and self sufficient.
28%, cited a lack of clear priorities/direction.
27% said there is not enough training.
In other words, Agile isn’t failing—its implementation is.
It’s not that Agile doesn’t work. It’s that most teams are never taught what good agile looks like.
What “Good Agile” Actually Looks Like
Done right, Agile is transformative. It’s not a methodology—it’s a mindset. One that empowers cross-functional teams, accelerates feedback loops, and turns strategy into value with discipline and focus.
So what does “good Agile” look like?
Clear priorities. Teams know exactly what matters and why.
Disciplined delivery. Sprints end with measurable outcomes, not unfinished work and excuses.
Healthy backlogs. Product teams build with intention—not endless scope creep.
Real retrospectives. Teams learn, adapt, and improve—not just vent and move on.
Engaged leadership. Leaders create the conditions for clarity, trust, and alignment.
Continuous improvement. Teams strive for continuous learning and improvement.
When these pieces are in place, the results speak for themselves: faster time to market, higher team engagement, better product quality, and customer satisfaction that actually moves the needle.
The Pain of Poor Implementation
As someone who works closely with leadership teams, I see it all the time, execs frustrated that they’re still missing deadlines, building the wrong features, and struggling to scale. They’ve tried Agile, but it didn’t deliver.
Here’s what I ask them:
Are your teams sprinting toward business outcomes or just completing tasks?
Are your priorities clear, aligned, and visible across departments?
Do your retrospectives actually result in change—or just check a box?
If they answer yes, I explain that this is a strategy and execution problem —and they’re solvable with the right guidance, systems, and support.
If You’re Leading a Growth-Stage Startup, Agile Might Be Your Lifeline
For startups in the $20M–$200M+ range, the stakes are high. You’re growing fast, trying to scale without breaking everything, and you need every person on your team focused on what actually matters.
Agile, done right, gives you the system to do that. It gives your product teams the rhythm to iterate, your exec team the visibility to lead, and your business the alignment to scale.
It helps you answer the question, “Are we building the right thing—and are we doing it well?”
Don’t Throw Out Agile. Fix It.
If your current Agile implementation isn’t working, don’t assume the framework is broken. Start by asking:
Are we practicing Agile, or just going through the motions?
Do our teams have the training, tools, and support they need?
Are we measuring what matters—or just managing tasks?
I founded Apodaca Consulting to help companies answer these questions and build operating systems that actually work. At Apodaca Consulting we combine OKRs, Scrum, and AI to help your teams move from chaos to clarity—and from strategy to execution.
And that’s the real promise of Agile: not speed, but purposeful progress.
Agile Is Alive—and So Are Your Goals
So no, Agile isn’t dead.
What’s dead is the idea that you can slap a few standups on a bloated project and expect magic. What’s alive—and more needed than ever—is a disciplined, flexible, and outcome-focused way of working that helps real teams solve real problems and build real value.
You deserve that. Your team deserves that. And your business can thrive with that.
About: At Apodaca Consulting we help companies focus on what’s most important, and why it matters. We are a leading solutions provider specializing in strategy development and execution. We help companies get to market faster and achieve measurable outcomes using the power of OKRs, Scrum and AI.
Our approach isn’t just about implementing frameworks; it’s about reshaping the DNA of organizations. Our focus is on Change Management, and the importance of understanding how organizations must adapt when implementing change management frameworks like OKRs and Scrum. At Apodaca Consulting, we don’t just partner with leaders to implement solutions—we future-proof businesses.
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