> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://results.agilexr.eu/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://results.agilexr.eu/1-guide-agile-teamwork-in-web-based-learning/chapter-1-agile-in-software.md). # Chapter 1 - Agile in Software Back in the 1990s, the software industry was facing some big problems. First, it was still pretty young, and there weren't enough skilled software developers around. Second, the industry was stuck using a rigid project management method called "waterfall." This method puts a lot of emphasis on creating long lists of requirements, often more for legal contracts than for actually working with clients. This lack of collaboration led to a lot of mistrust. What's more, software wasn't made the way it is today, with small, gradual improvements. Instead, it was created in massive packages. Think of the old Office 95 software – it had thousands of features, but hardly anyone used them all. Developing such huge packages took years, and even then, they often had bugs. The Pareto Law shows that only about 20% of the software was used, meaning 80% of the resources and development went to waste. The industry was exhausted and desperately needed a change. That change was brought about by some skilled software developers. In 2001, a group of them got together to transform the way software was made. They created the [Agile Manifesto for software](https://Agilemanifesto.org/), which laid out four new core values (in section 1.1) and 12 principles (in section 1.2) for the industry. These changes led to various practices and new ways of managing Agile projects (in section 1.3), resulting in a fresh mindset (in section 1.4). --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://results.agilexr.eu/1-guide-agile-teamwork-in-web-based-learning/chapter-1-agile-in-software.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.