Agile Case Studies: The Who, What, and Why of Agile Product Development

Even though agile publishing is still emergent, a growing number of publishers and information providers are using it and related practices and gaining notable benefits. At the same time, whole ecosystems of start-ups armed with agile practices, frameworks, and dynamic scripting languages are creating websites and products in the blink of an eye, while users are demanding ever more dynamic and appealing digital products. To stay in the game, information providers have to get agile – now. This report contains case studies of three information provider companies and one software company that are all using agile development, and lessons learned from their experiences. The report is intended both as a primer on agile development and as a guide to help publishing executives get a handle on whether or not agile development is “right” for their organizations. The report includes:

- Analysis of the roots and rudiments of agile practices, and when publishers and information providers should and should not use agile;
- A look at agile information product development;
- Case studies of ProQuest, Motley Fool, Scout Analytics, and GlobalSpec, and lessons learned;
- Guidelines for getting started with agile;
- Essential actions for publishers and information providers.