Continuous learning and getting left behind

One of the more tiring arguments against ideas like Agile or Lean is the line of “gee, it used to be RUP, now Agile, now Lean.  Make up your mind!  I’ll come back in 2 years when it’s something else shiny you’ve latched onto.”  But that’s not an argument against ideas, it’s just an argument against change.

If my code today isn’t better than it was 6 months ago, I’m doing something wrong.

If my ideas on how to best develop and deliver software haven’t changed in the last 2 years, I’m doing something wrong.

You know that thing when your ideas change over time, due to experience and new knowledge?  It’s called learning.  And if you’re not continuously learning, challenging your biases and beliefs, you’re not staying static, you’re falling behind.

I’ve been guilty in the past of putting ideas on a golden throne (time-boxed iterations) without really challenging them or looking at other options.  But a person changing their mind isn’t an valid argument against their ideas, it’s a logical fallacy.

So we have two options – cling to what we know and understand for as long as there is a market for that expertise, or, continuously learn and grow.