Around this time last year, I tweeted, “XP is not dead; it’s just not where you left it.” I was tired of hearing longtime XP practitioners complaining about the decline (or even death) of XP practices. I was tired because I saw XP every day. Young devs rearranging their workspace to be more conducive to frequent pair programming. Spirited lunchtime debates about the philosophy of TDD. Conferences like AndXP (later renamed PearConf)… and so much more. XP is alive and well, and it has continued to evolve and find new audiences. It may not look exactly like it did to first- or second-wave practitioners. The same could be said for Agile technical practices overall.
Later in 2019, when Paul Hammond asked me to be the Conference Chair for deliver:Agile 2020, I thought about that tweet. What would it look like to bring together generations of technical Agile practitioners? I try to live my life with a healthy respect for history and an appetite for the potential of the future. What would that mentality look like in the form of a technical conference?
Well, on 29 April–1 May in Columbus we will find out. The deliver:Agile program committee has sought to bring together a variety of technical folks (devs, testers, security specialists, infrastructure engineers, and more) speaking to the history and future of Agile technical practices. These speakers will come together to answer the question, “What does Agile mean for technologists in 2020?” Then together with the community, we will all ask, “Where do technical practices go from here?” If you are interested in contributing to this conversation, I hope you will join us at deliver:Agile 2020!
