Over the past several weeks, I’ve explored some of the biggest shifts shaping Agile in 2025 — from the return to basics to the rise of AI-driven agility, from platform engineering to value stream thinking, from hybrid development approaches to hyper-collaboration and evolving roles.
Each of these trends points toward a single, unmistakable truth:
Agility isn’t about frameworks anymore — it’s about mindsets, outcomes, and adaptability.
As we look toward 2026, I see the Agile world continuing to evolve in three key directions: simplification, augmentation, and integration.
Let’s take a closer look at where we’ve been — and where we’re headed.
1. Back to Basics — The Simplification Revolution
We started the series with what I still believe is the most critical conversation: getting back to Agile basics.
Somewhere along the way, many organizations overcomplicated agility with layered frameworks, rigid ceremonies, and too many tools chasing too little purpose. But the best teams are rediscovering that simplicity works.
In 2026, I hope to see even more organizations stripping away the unnecessary and focusing on what truly matters: clear goals, empowered teams, continuous feedback, and incremental delivery.
We’ll see more leaders asking:
- “What value are we delivering this sprint?”
- “What’s getting in our way?”
- “How do we make it simpler?”
Those are the questions that keep agility human — and sustainable.
2. AI as a Co-Pilot, Not a Replacement
The second major theme of this year was AI-driven agility, and this trend will only accelerate in 2026.
We’ve moved beyond the novelty phase. AI isn’t just assisting developers or automating testing — it’s helping coaches, product managers, and entire teams make better decisions.
In my own work, I’ve used ChatGPT to generate epics and user stories from raw ideas, saving hours of prep time and giving my team a strong foundation for backlog refinement. I’ve also piloted this with development and HR tech teams — and the results were impressive.
In 2026, I expect this to become common practice. AI will be a collaborator in the agile process — helping us synthesize data, predict risks, and visualize flow — while humans focus on context, creativity, and connection.
The real opportunity isn’t in automation. It’s in augmentation — using AI to free us from the busywork so we can spend more time on meaningful work.
3. Platform Engineering and the Rise of Outcome-Driven Ops
Another trend reshaping Agile delivery is the evolution of DevOps into Platform Engineering.
In 2025, this shift began to take hold — dedicated platform teams building self-service environments that empower developers and accelerate flow. In 2026, I believe we’ll see this model become the norm for large enterprises.
The key difference is cultural: Platform Engineering isn’t just about infrastructure — it’s about creating leverage. It’s how organizations ensure teams can deliver independently without sacrificing governance or security.
The best platform teams measure success not by uptime or deployments, but by developer experience and time to value — the outcomes that matter most.
4. Value Stream Thinking — The True “Definition of Done”
In 2025, we started reframing “done” to mean value realized, not just code shipped.
That mindset shift — from output to outcome — is profound. It requires courage from leadership and patience from teams. It also demands systems that make value visible, from idea to delivery to customer impact.
In 2026, I believe more organizations will adopt Value Stream Management as a strategic discipline. We’ll see metrics evolve from velocity charts to value metrics — like cycle efficiency, customer satisfaction, and innovation throughput.
The companies that think beyond quarterly numbers will continue to lead. As Simon Sinek reminds us in The Infinite Game, the ones that play for long-term impact are the ones that truly change their industries.
5. The Hybrid Future of Development
The debate between Agile vs. Spec-Driven Development (SDD) is fading. In its place, we’re seeing hybrid models emerge — blending the structure of SDD with the flexibility of Agile.
In 2026, I expect this hybridization to accelerate, especially as AI helps automate specification creation, traceability, and documentation.
It’s not about choosing sides anymore. It’s about choosing what works — a theme that runs through every part of agility’s evolution.
6. Hyper-Agility and Real-Time Collaboration
Teams are becoming faster, more visual, and more connected.
In my teams, we use Lucidspark over Zoom to run real-time collaboration sessions — mapping value streams, visualizing customer journeys, and creating epics on the spot. Lucidspark integrates with Jira and Confluence, allowing us to maintain a single source of truth from ideation to delivery.
In 2026, expect to see more teams working this way — embracing asynchronous collaboration tools powered by AI, and creating seamless bridges between brainstorming and execution.
We’re finally closing the gap between thinking and doing.
7. The Embedded Agile Coach
Finally, we’ve seen the role of the Agile Coach transform.
As I shared in the last post, moving from Scrum Master to embedded coach changed how I viewed the system. Instead of coaching teams in isolation, we began to coach the organization itself — surfacing systemic blockers, aligning strategy to delivery, and enabling agility at scale.
This trend will deepen in 2026. Agile Coaches will become strategic partners, helping shape culture, leadership behaviors, and operating models. They’ll use data, empathy, and AI insights to guide decisions that stick.
The future of coaching isn’t about enforcing ceremonies — it’s about cultivating environments where agility can grow naturally.
So, What’s Next?
If 2025 was the year of rediscovery — of returning to values, rethinking roles, and rehumanizing agility — then 2026 will be the year of integration.
Agility won’t live in a corner of the org chart anymore. It will be embedded in leadership, technology, culture, and operations. AI will be a partner. Platform teams will be enablers. Coaches will be catalysts.
And simplicity — the value we started with — will remain the north star.
As we move into this next era, I’ll continue to ask the same guiding question that’s defined my journey so far:
“What actually works for us, right now, in our context?”
Because that’s the heart of agility — not dogma, not frameworks, but discovery.
Here’s to 2026 — the year we stop talking about doing Agile and start fully being Agile.
Scrum Bubbles 