GOTO - The Brightest Minds in Tech Early Days of Agile Development & Is Design Dead? • Martin Fowler & James Lewis
Sep 26, 2025
Join Martin Fowler, a pioneer in agile development and author, alongside James Lewis, a software architect at Thoughtworks. They dive into the early days of agile, discussing pivotal projects like the Chrysler payroll and the impact of extreme programming. Fowler highlights the evolution of design, advocating that it thrives on testing and refactoring rather than being 'dead.' They also explore the importance of embedding business experts with development teams and how generative AI can aid in legacy system analysis while warning against misconceptions.
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How Chrysler Sparked Evolutionary Development
- Martin Fowler entered agile through the object-oriented and Smalltalk communities and a chance engagement with Kent Beck at Chrysler.
- That Chrysler payroll project became the crucible where Extreme Programming and testing-driven, evolutionary design reshaped his thinking.
Design Evolved, Not Extinct
- Design didn't vanish; it became intertwined with programming through tests and refactoring.
- The ability to rapidly change code reframes design as an ongoing, evolutionary activity.
Put Business People Next To Devs
- Embed business experts physically and conversationally with developers to enable immediate decisions.
- Avoid intermediaries that block direct contact between users and engineers.
