In the kickoff episode of the “5 Wishes for 2025” series, Vasco Duarte dives into a topic close to his heart: why managing software like construction projects leads to failure. Drawing on his experience in the Agile community and sharing compelling real-world examples, Vasco introduces a new perspective on how software development should flow, adapt, and continuously deliver value.
Software Development: Stop Building Houses, Start Growing Gardens
“Software is more like a garden than a construction site—continuous care and attention are key to thriving.”
Vasco begins by debunking the myth that software development can be meticulously planned like a construction project. Sharing a story about a failed 18-month software endeavor, he highlights how rigid plans crumble in the face of changing markets. Instead, he advocates for an adaptive, flow-based approach to software development, comparing it to the continuous nurturing required in a garden.
Why Projects Fall Short in Software Development
“You can’t plan your year’s meals in January—why would you try that with software?”
Vasco identifies three critical flaws of project-driven software development:
1. Assumption of Stability: Markets and requirements shift too fast for static plans.
2. Front-loaded Decisions: Early decisions often fail to hold up over time.
3. Artificial Boundaries: Restrictive scopes kill innovation and flexibility.
The Three-Step Framework for Flow-Based Software Development
1. Continuous Delivery
“Software is like a shark—it has to keep moving or it dies.”
Vasco explains how companies can succeed by continuously delivering updates to users. He shares insights from a mobile startup using experiments and feedback loops to keep evolving and delivering measurable value.
2. Incremental Funding
“Fund software like a business, not like a construction project.”
Drawing on ideas from Lean-Agile financial planning, Vasco introduces incremental funding as a smarter way to manage development. He points listeners to a previous episode with experts Maarit Laanti and Rami Sirkia for deeper insights.
3. Goal-Oriented Teams
“Teams need goals, not just backlogs.”
Vasco stresses the importance of giving teams end-to-end ownership of the value they create. The backlog is a tool, but the real focus should be on clear goals that align with business impact. He mentions his OTOG - One-Team-One-Goal blog post.
Raising Agility to the Portfolio Level
“Flow-based software development lets us make quick, strategic decisions at the portfolio level.”
By embracing continuous delivery, incremental funding, and goal-driven teams, organizations can elevate agility from individual teams to the entire portfolio. Vasco highlights this as a game-changer for modern businesses, enabling quicker, smarter product decisions.
Global Agile Summit 2025 – Don’t Miss Out!
“Join us in Tallinn to see flow-based software delivery in action.”
Vasco invites listeners to the Global Agile Summit 2025, where real-world examples of flow-based development will take center stage. For those listening during the holiday season, there’s a Super Early Bird ticket available with a 75% discount. Visit GlobalAgileSummit.com for details.
About Vasco Duarte
Vasco Duarte is a thought leader in the Agile space, co-founder of Agile Finland, and host of the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast, which has over 10 million downloads. Author of NoEstimates: How To Measure Project Progress Without Estimating, Vasco is a sought-after speaker and consultant helping organizations embrace Agile practices to achieve business success.
You can link with Vasco Duarte on LinkedIn.
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