What is Agile?
Agile is a set of principles for delivering work in small, continuous increments. Learn what agile actually means and how kanban fits into it.
Agile is an approach to work that delivers in small, frequent increments and adapts to change, rather than planning everything up front. It comes from the Agile Manifesto (2001), which values individuals, working software, and responding to change over processes and plans. Scrum and kanban are both agile methodologies.
Agile values and principles
The four values — individuals over processes, working software over documentation, customer collaboration over contracts, responding to change over following a plan — are the whole philosophy. The twelve principles add the how: deliver frequently, welcome changing requirements, and let the team self-organize.
Agile vs waterfall
Waterfall plans the entire project up front and executes it in phases. Agile builds in small loops: plan a little, build a little, ship a little, learn, repeat. Agile fits work where requirements change; waterfall fits fixed, well-understood projects.
Scrum vs kanban vs agile
Agile is the umbrella; scrum and kanban are two of its methodologies. Scrum adds timeboxes, roles, and ceremonies; kanban adds visualization and flow control. Both are agile; neither owns the word.
Nimbus
Nimbus is an agile tool without the ceremony: a realtime kanban board that makes iterative work visible, so teams can be agile without configuring workflows or attending training.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 4 values of agile?
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan.
Is kanban agile or lean?
Both. Kanban is an agile methodology and also draws heavily from lean manufacturing's focus on flow, waste reduction, and continuous improvement.
Do I need a tool to be agile?
No — agile is a mindset and a set of practices. A board, physical or digital, is the main practical requirement; tools like Nimbus just make the board realtime and searchable.
Ship your first sprint today.
Create a workspace and invite the team — the board is live the moment you open it.