Agile Does Not Mean No Documentation
Agile values working software without banning documentation. Write what teams, continuity, security, and regulated operations genuinely require.
Source and AI note: This article is based on Gemini’s Devpractice on YouTube. It was generated and edited with the
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Agile does not justify refusing documentation. Valuing working software more than comprehensive documentation is a comparison of priorities, not an instruction to discard documentation. The Agile Manifesto values both sides while giving more weight to one.
The same warning applies to arguments shaped like “because we practice A, we do not do B.” A method such as agile or XP should not become an excuse to refuse work the team actually needs.
Write the documentation the situation requires
If a team or company needs documentation, producing it is part of the work. Documents can also be company assets that need to remain after an individual leaves. Regulated or security-sensitive industries may require additional evidence.
The required content depends on the company, team, and situation. The point is not that every project needs the same documents; it is that an agile label cannot decide the question in advance.
If a colleague keeps refusing documentation the work requires, discuss it and argue firmly for what is needed. If leadership blocks it and the situation cannot be changed, the remaining options are to leave the team or company, or finish the project and then leave that situation.