MichaelMahemoff

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My attitude to methodologies is simple: know a broad range of approaches, and then be pragmatic in evolving them to suit your needs. XP, Crystal, RUP, Classic Waterfall, even code 'n' fix, all have something to contribute. Just be cautious about using any one of them in its pure form.

XP is especially interesting to me because:

• Being relatively new, it reflects experience of using earlier methodologies.
• It is so different from conventional approaches that it provides an excellent counterpoint for those who choose to develop project-specific methodologies based on existing methodologies.
• Where most agile methodologies consist only of basic principles, XP is very explicit on the practices that should be followed. Not all of its concrete practices apply to a particular project, but the explicit approach makes it clear to follow and renders it suitable for evaluation and customisation.