Development Methodologies Glossary

Agile — Explained with Examples

Agile is an iterative approach to software development that prioritizes collaboration, customer feedback, and small rapid releases over rigid planning.

Scrum — Explained with Examples

Scrum is a lightweight Agile framework for managing complex work using fixed-length sprints, defined roles, and regular ceremonies like standups and retrospectives.

Kanban — Explained with Examples

Kanban is a visual workflow management method that limits work-in-progress to improve flow, reduce cycle time, and increase delivery predictability.

Waterfall — Explained with Examples

Waterfall is a sequential software development model where each phase — requirements, design, implementation, verification, maintenance — completes before the next begins.

Extreme Programming (XP) — Explained with Examples

Extreme Programming (XP) is an Agile methodology that emphasizes technical excellence through practices like pair programming, TDD, and continuous integration.

MVP (Minimum Viable Product) — Explained with Examples

An MVP is the smallest version of a product that can be released to test a hypothesis and gather validated learning from real users.

Proof of Concept (PoC) — Explained with Examples

A Proof of Concept (PoC) is a small exercise to test a practical idea's feasibility, often used to validate technology choices before full development.

Prototype — Explained with Examples

A prototype is an early working model of a product used to gather feedback, explore ideas, and validate design decisions before full-scale development.

Technical Debt — Explained with Examples

Technical debt is the implied cost of future rework caused by choosing an easy or quick solution now instead of a better, more maintainable approach.

Refactoring — Explained with Examples

Refactoring restructures existing code without changing its behavior to improve readability, reduce complexity, and make future changes easier.

Sprint — Explained with Examples

A sprint is a time-boxed iteration in Scrum, typically 1–4 weeks, during which a team completes a set of work from the product backlog.

Daily Standup — Explained with Examples

A daily standup is a short, time-boxed meeting where team members synchronize plans and identify blockers, typically lasting 15 minutes or less.

Sprint Retrospective — Explained with Examples

A sprint retrospective is a recurring meeting where the team reflects on the past sprint and identifies actionable improvements for future iterations.

Burndown Chart — Explained with Examples

A burndown chart tracks remaining work (story points or tasks) against time, showing a team's progress toward completing a sprint or project goal.

Spike — Explained with Examples

A spike is a time-boxed research or investigation effort in Agile used to reduce risk, answer a technical question, or explore an unknown.