(Series: Rethinking IT – The Path to AI-Enabled Business, Part 2)
🚨 Agile was supposed to save IT.
Instead, it often became a facade.
Standups. Sprints. Retrospectives.
Many organizations adopted the rituals of Agile without embracing the mindset of agility.
Beneath the surface:
- Governance still controls delivery.
- Product Owners manage checklists, not customer value.
- Teams sprint toward outputs instead of outcomes.
Agile ceremonies ≠ Agile culture.
In Part 2 of my Rethinking IT series, I break down: 🔹 The 5 Deadly Signs of Fake Agile
🔹 Why most transformations fail before they even begin
🔹 How true enterprise agility must underpin AI and digital success
💡 If your organization feels stuck despite “going Agile,” you’re not alone—and you’re not doomed.
But recognizing the problem is the first step toward building something better.
Let’s dive in. 👇
📌 Executive Summary
Agile, once seen as the savior of enterprise IT, has often become an illusion—ceremonies without cultural change. In this article, I break down the 5 Deadly Signs of Fake Agile, why most transformations fail before they even begin, and why true agility is essential for success in the AI and Digital era. Leaders must rethink their approach, or risk falling behind faster than ever.
🚩 The 5 Deadly Signs of Fake Agile
1️⃣ Agile by Process, Not by Purpose
Teams are running standups, retrospectives, and sprints—
but decisions still come from the top.
There’s no empowerment, no ownership, and no room for real learning.
2️⃣ Waterfall in Disguise
Sprints exist in name only.
Scope, budget, and deadlines are fixed upfront—like a traditional waterfall project chopped into two-week slices.
3️⃣ Backlog Management, Not Product Ownership
Product Owners are treated as project managers.
They manage a list of features instead of understanding customer problems and making strategic tradeoffs.
4️⃣ Governance Over Collaboration
Risk, Security, Compliance, and Architecture remain outside the delivery process—slowing teams down with external checkpoints rather than being true embedded partners.
5️⃣ Outputs Over Outcomes
Teams are celebrated for “completing 10 features”—
but no one asks whether those features actually solved a customer problem or created business value.
⚠️ Why Most Agile Transformations Fail Before They Even Begin
Organizations treat Agile as a process change instead of a culture change.
They rebrand roles.
They rename meetings.
They create new ceremonies.
But they don’t change:
- How teams are empowered
- How funding flows
- How risk and security integrate into delivery
- How leaders measure success
Without those shifts, Agile is just a new label for old ways of thinking.
🧠 Agile Alone Won’t Save You
Agile practices matter—but they’re only a means to an end.
In a world shaped by AI, real-time customer expectations, and continuous digital transformation, true agility—flexibility, learning, and empowerment—must be embedded across teams, platforms, security, and leadership behaviors.
Agility is no longer optional.
It’s foundational to survival.
➡️ Next in the Series
In Part 3 of Rethinking IT, I’ll explore the critical shift from project thinking to product thinking—and why getting it wrong kills innovation before it even starts.
🔔 Follow me to catch Part 3 when it publishes, or subscribe for updates.
About the Author
Matt Rider is a veteran Chief Information Officer with over 25 years of experience leading digital transformation, enterprise modernization, and AI adoption in global financial services organizations. He is a recognized speaker and thought leader on the future of IT, product delivery, and technology strategy in regulated industries.
