I think it's the truth.
I am an agile enthusiast, but applying to the letter the agile principles can lead to disasters.
I led a project in 2014 using Scrum, and as the architecture was well understood, the project went as planned.
However, in 2016 an infrastructure replacement project started without a full investigation of the existing and of the new architecture. Result: after 10 months in the project, the architect realised that the APIs he had designed were not fit for purpose, with other parts of the old system still not well understood.
So, I think that an initial phase is needed - especially on replacement projects - to understand the old system architecture, the new architecture and how it fits within the other existing systems.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
