---
title: "Agile Development"
source: Microsoft Code-With Engineering Playbook
source_url: https://github.com/microsoft/code-with-engineering-playbook
licence: CC-BY-4.0
domain: engineering
subdomain: microsoft-code-with-playbook
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

# Agile Development

In this documentation we refer to the cross-functional delivery team as a **"Crew"** (i.e., the team responsible for delivery on a project). This includes the dev team, dev lead, product manager (PM), data scientists, etc.

## Why Agile

- We want to be quick to respond to change
- We want to get to a state of working software fast, and iterate on it to improve it
- We want to keep the customer/end users involved all the way through
- We care about individuals and interactions over documents and processes

## The Fundamentals

We care about the goal for each activity, but not necessarily about how they are accomplished. The suggestions in parenthesis are common ways to accomplish the goals.

- We keep a shared backlog of work that everyone on the team can access (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub, Jira or other backlog tools)
- We plan our work in iterations with clear goals (ex. sprints)
- We have a clear idea of when work items are ready to implement (ex. definition of ready)
- We have a clear idea of when work items are completed (ex. definition of done)
- We communicate the progress in one place that everyone can access, and keep the progress up to date (ex. sprint board and daily standups)
- We reflect on our work regularly to make improvements (ex. retrospectives)
- The team has a clear idea of the roles and responsibilities in the project (e.g., dev lead, Technical Program Manager (TPM), Process Lead, etc.)
- The team has a clear idea of how we work together (ex. team agreement)
- We value and respect the opinions and work of all team members.

## AI tooling considerations

Teams are increasingly adapting traditional Scrum practices to take advantage of AI tools and workflows. The tools emphasize rapid iteration, short discovery/validation cycles, and AI-assisted asset generation. Consider these principles as you tailor your process:

- Favor frequent, lightweight planning and validation over rigid, fixed-length cadences when it helps accelerate feedback loops and reduce cycle time.
- Use AI-assisted tooling (for example, GitHub Copilot or planning assistants) to accelerate planning, generate drafts for reviews, and improve productivity—while maintaining human oversight and review.
- Embrace shorter spikes and early validation (especially for UX and data science work) to de-risk solutions earlier.

These are patterns, not prescriptions — adapt them to fit your engagement and stakeholder needs.

## References

- [What Is Scrum?](https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-scrum)
- [Essential Scrum: A Practical Guide to The Most Popular Agile Process](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13663747-essential-scrum)
