A Future at the Speed of Agile Methodologies

How quickly can we complete a project? What does today's market demand of us? Are we ready to take on the agile challenges the market demands of us? It's already clear to us that the agile methodologies They are important and essential today.

Could you briefly tell us about your current job and your career path?

«SI'm an entrepreneur. I've had my own company in Madrid for 14 years. 

We specialize in accelerate the digital transformation process of our clients. Often, clients believe that digital transformation is only about digital technology (big data, blockchain, etc.), but the truth is that transformation goes beyond technology. We are the team behind the method, not the technology. 

Technology is needed to do something, to sell a product, to sell a service, to build an e-commerce site, to generate energy, or to build hotels. But… How do you...Is it used? How can companies navigate a context fraught with risks and uncertainties?

Companies need to make a significant effort to educate themselves, change their culture, and dare to work despite doubts and a lack of information. That’s where we come in. We help implement this way of thinking, working, and being. We work with well-known clients such as Bankia, Endesa, Rocher, Caser Seguros, Mapfre, Mercedes, and others.

Also I am a trainer by vocation. In Structuralia has been around for about 8 or 9 years; at Westfield Business School in Miami for about 12 years now; and I also have some clients in Austin, Texas. 

Looking back on my own education, I studied two engineering disciplines. But I’ve never been a computer scientist—I was more into management. The technical side is fine, but if we don’t know how to make the most of it, it’s useless. And I found my niche in digital transformation.«.

How would you define agile methodologies in project management?

«First of all, you put that very well; I'd like to emphasize which are the agile methodologies. There is an agile approach that has two elements: a a process and a culture. 

The most important thing is culture. And the process depends on the industry. There is a specific methodology for each sector. 

Agile methodologies are a way to apply the agile approach. They're the answer to what happens when I have to get a project off the ground. 

A project is an activity that is defined within a specific timeframe. For example, building a hotel, constructing a bridge, sending a spacecraft to the moon, developing a COVID-19 vaccine, and so on. I have to build something, and I don’t have all the time in the world—I have a deadline and limited resources. 

Agile methodologies are the most reasonable way to tackle such a project when there is little information available and in an environment of uncertainty.

Being agile doesn't mean being imprecise. You make your way by walking.

You don't know how it will end, but you get started. Once you start, you begin to gather more information. Long-term, detailed plans don't work. 

The Agile approaches have incremental timeframes, planning iprogressive iteration. They vary depending on the information that is gradually acquired and learned. And this is a cultural transformation. 

In a context of transformation—whether digital or not—there are doubts, there are changes, and there is uncertainty. We must accept that the scope is fluid. 

Companies that are no longer in business have not accepted this. 

In short, agile methodologies are the natural answer to the "transformation" aspect of digital transformation«.

In your case… How did you realize that teaching fulfilled you? How did you take the step toward teaching on a regular basis?

«What really motivated me was realizing what I hadn't been taught. 

When I started my business 14 years ago, I wish I'd had some real support.  

I knew the technical side of things, but I didn't know how to deal with uncertainty, how to manage expectations, or how to prepare for a public bidding process.

We need schools to bridge the gap between academic education and reality, what's missing in the real market«.

What specific skills do you think are required in practice?

«There's one that's very clear: facilitating leadership. 

When people talk about project management, they often talk about project managers. That's a thing of the past.

The concept of a project manager doesn't make sense. Why do you need 11 people working and 1 person thinking? Wouldn't it be better to have all 12 thinking? 

That manager profile, the team leader, who spends his time telling people what to do, is no longer effective.

We need someone who is dedicated to supporting the team, to ask them how you can help, what issues they’re facing, what resources they need, what training they require, and who they need to speak with. That’s what’s needed, and it isn’t taught in college. 

A technical specialist doesn't know how to lead a team. Leading a team means understanding that you have 12 people who are all completely different.

We need to raise awareness about this; it's very important. bring a human touch to projects because that's what they're based on: people«.

What Can Design Thinking Offer Businesses?

«There are people who consider the Design Thinking A methodology—I don't really agree with this definition. 

Design Thinking, as I see it It is the answer to the radical approach Not only do I have less information than I'd like to start with, but I also have no idea where to begin. That's where this radical approach comes in. In fact, it's the most radical agile approach. 

Design Thinking is equivalent to “”I have to do something, and I have no idea where to start.". Well, what you have to do is just get started. Start by sketching a design (a prototype) on a napkin with your client. That's where you'll begin to refine the details with your client. 

Basically, it's a way to break through deadlocks in discussions. When we're far removed from the problem, we need to start rapid prototyping and then iterate. We have to show it to the client along the way and adapt it accordingly. After a thousand changes, there will come a day when that prototype becomes a product or service.«.

Agile methodologies help bring a product to market quickly and test its potential… Are they for all companies?

«The most appropriate question would be: “”What determines whether agile methodologies add value?"

I think it depends on the company's attitude and people's attitudes, it does not depend on the size of the company. 

For example, a startup that isn't agile isn't a startup. It succeeds because it's agile. 

Is it in a large corporation's best interest? I suppose so. They're such huge organizations that it's impossible for them to become agile overnight. It's a large-scale, phased process that involves scaling the agile approach to a large scale. It doesn't depend on size, but rather on the people and the corporate culture. 

People who need everything to be crystal clear because they're afraid of making mistakes don't thrive in these environments (or in any). On large projects, you can't be as agile as you'd like to be. 

Every company has its sweet spot. »How far do I need to go to be agile, or how far is best for me—that's what every company has to figure out.".

In general… Do you think young people have that agile, fluid mindset, or not?

«I think so. Digital natives are agile natives and they don’t realize it. For example, when our kids want something—like a pair of sneakers—they want them right away. They don’t understand when we say, “We’ll go buy them in six weeks.” Anything later than tomorrow is too late. Even if they’re not in a hurry, they go for what’s immediate. That personality will show up tomorrow when they start working, no matter what they’ve studied. 

When this generation begins to take our place, sTraditional approaches will come to an end. And companies that don't realize that the professionals coming in are like this will go out of business.

In fact, high school students are doing agile challenges without even realizing it. My son, who just finished his fourth year of ESO, has been working on a project in which he had to report his progress each week. That’s a minimum viable product roadmap. So when these young people enter the workforce, they’ll approach it that way because that’s how they know how to work.».

And finally… Tell me a little about the PMBOK

«PMBOK is a framework for the Project Management Institute (PMI). It is a a book that outlines a project management framework, which is a striking example of where we're headed. 

Today, the PMBOK consists of two parts: the traditional part, which remains largely unchanged, and the agile part. Every time the book is reprinted, they remove some content from the traditional section and focus more on agile methodologies. 

»The PMI itself is realizing that managing non-agile projects will not be possible.".

From Structuralia We would like to thank Miguel Ángel Vera, for his tremendous contribution and willingness to conduct yet another fascinating interview about the fast-paced world of agile methodologies.