The agile manifesto authors describe four shifts in emphasis that characterize software development methods suitable for then then new desktop computing.
They cautiously introduce their observations.
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
They then list four unexpected preferences.
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools - Working software over comprehensive documentation - Customer collaboration over contract negotiation - Responding to change over following a plan
To this they signed their names.
Kent Beck, Mike Beedle, Arie van Bennekum, Alistair Cockburn, Ward Cunningham, Martin Fowler, James Grenning, Jim Highsmith, Andrew Hunt, Ron Jeffries, Jon Kern, Brian Marick, Robert C. Martin, Steve Mellor, Ken Schwaber, Jeff Sutherland, Dave Thomas
See Manifesto Brain Snack for a one minute summary.