Agile Was Supposed To Save Us

In 1996 the Standish Group released the Chaos Report which showed that 40% of IT projects failed and a further 33% were challenged (over-time and over-budget).

Fast forward to 2020 and, thanks to agile, the numbers have dropped to 19% fail and 50% challenged. In 24 years we've managed to reduce the outright failures but still 69% of projects are over-time and over-budget. And that doesn't even cover the ones that don't achieve the expected business benefits.

Agile was supposed to fix this. But the problem is real agility requires changes across the organisation from the team process changes, to funding and governance to alignment. But these are difficult changes to make so companies settled for Scrum and Water-Scrum-Fall. While these prevented the scale of the delays for projects, by increasing transparency of the development phase, they did not fix the underlying causes.

I go into detail about the five key areas that need to change to enable true agility in my article below.

This Week’s Updates

Enabling the Team

Agile Was Supposed To Save Us by Rory Madden
Agility is needed now more than ever. Businesses still struggle with inefficiency, poor decision-making, and slow delivery cycles. The problem was never Agile itself—it was the way it was implemented.

Why Great Design Managers Are Usually Great Designers First by Anton Sten
Effective design managers create clarity, give consistent feedback, and champion their team’s work. It’s not about having all the answers, it’s about removing roadblocks and building trust so designers can thrive.

Product Direction

Why I’m Not Worried About My UX Job In The Era Of AI by Raluca Budiu
As AI reshapes workflows, UX professionals need to adapt by strengthening skills in problem framing, ethical design, and cross-functional collaboration. Long-term relevance depends on guiding product decisions, not just delivering wireframes.

Metrics Are Easy—Impact Is Hard by Christina Wodtke
While metrics are easily measured, they can lead to shallow wins. Driving true impact requires aligning teams on meaningful change, not just moving numbers.

Continuous Research

Synthetic Users And ‘Realistic’ Research by Jessica Lewes
Synthetic users can streamline early exploration, but scaling realistic research means integrating AI tools without losing human nuance. The key is blending efficiency with rigour so insights remain grounded and actionable.

When Stakeholders Say “We Knew That Already”: Hindsight Bias In UX Research by Maria Panagiotidi
Dismissive responses like “we knew that” can undermine research impact and team morale. Addressing these reactions requires reframing insights in ways that connect with stakeholder priorities and decision-making.

Continuous Design

Why Users Ignore Your Best Features by Mike Watson
Users often overlook powerful features when they’re hard to find, poorly framed, or misaligned with real needs. Fixing this means surfacing value at the right time, in the right way; through context, clarity, and timing.

Evolving Beyond The Double Diamond To Become A Strategic UX Designer by Anamol Rajbhandari
Designers who move beyond linear frameworks and focus on framing problems, influencing roadmaps, and aligning with business impact become true strategic partners.

Continuous Development

How AI Agents Are Quietly Transforming Frontend Development by Alexander T. Williams
AI agents are starting to automate parts of frontend workflows, from component generation to test creation. While still early, these tools are shifting how engineers prototype, build, and collaborate in interface development.

What Nobody Tells Developers About Documentation by Ian Vanagas
Building a dev career isn’t just about mastering tech, but it’s about navigating ambiguity, taking initiative, and learning to communicate value. Long-term growth comes from doing unglamorous work well and building trust over time.

Unlock High-Performing Teams:
Master Cross-Functional Collaboration

Dublin, October 15th a hands-on training

Is your team stuck in silos? This one-day workshop in Dublin on October 15th is designed for Product Managers, UX Researchers, Designers, and Developers who want to improve how they work together and increase their team’s efficiency. Learn how to reduce handoffs, set strategic goals, improve communication, and align multiple teams working toward the same objectives. You’ll leave with the tools and strategies you need to foster collaboration, enhance productivity, and keep everyone aligned.

Expect hands-on activities, worked examples, and direct application to your own challenges. The workshop will be hosted at Workday’s office in Dublin, providing the perfect setting for networking with like-minded professionals. The session will cover:

• Cross-Functional Ways of Working

• Tracking Work

• From Reporting to Continuous Transparency

• Strategic Planning

• Weekly Product Reviews

• Cross Team Alignment

Spaces are limited! Reserve your spot now and secure your ticket for €699 before October 14th.

HOT TIP: Lock-in your UXDX 2026 ticket now to get the lowest price available by using the code above. It won’t get cheaper before the events kick-off!

FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS 

Check out more upcoming community events 

Video of the Week
Accessibility in the Spotlight:
Navigating the New EU Legislation and more

Join Patrick Mooney and an expert panel as they explore the EU accessibility legislation and its profound impact on UX, development, and product teams. With insights from Karen Hawkins, Gareth Crossan, and Mike Keane, this session bridges the gap between legal compliance and practical implementation.

Learn how to integrate accessibility into your workflows, debunk common myths, and discover actionable steps you can take right now to prioritize accessibility in your work. Watch now to understand how the EU accessibility law is driving innovation across the industry:

The Results of Last Week’s Poll

The question: What's the biggest barrier to modernising how we work?

This week’s poll reveals that the biggest barrier to modernizing work processes is difficulty in changing, with 42% of respondents identifying it as the primary challenge. This highlights the common struggle teams face when trying to introduce new ways of working, especially when there are ingrained habits and systems in place.

Interestingly, fear of change came in second with 23%, while misaligned incentives and metrics and lack of motivation were also cited as obstacles by 15% and 8% of respondents, respectively. One comment noted the importance of having a clear strategic vision and reasoning behind changes, pointing out that without this clarity, change can feel destabilizing. These results underscore the need for clear communication and strong leadership when navigating organizational transformations.

If you're looking to overcome these barriers and modernize your workflows effectively, check out our upcoming training, “From a Team of Functions to a Cross-Functional Team,” running this October in Dublin. This training will provide actionable strategies to help you drive successful change and improve how your teams collaborate.

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