Unit 3

Introduction to DevOps

Why DevOps?

The goal of DevOps is to increase an organization’s speed when it comes to delivering applications and services.
Many companies have successfully implemented DevOps to enhance their user experience including Amazon,
Netflix, etc.
Facebook’s mobile app which is updated every two weeks effectively tells users you can have what you want and
you can have it. Now ever wondered how Facebook was able to do social smoothing? It’s the DevOps philosophy
that helps Facebook ensure that apps aren’t outdated and that users get the best experience on Facebook. Facebook
accomplishes this true code ownership model that makes its developers responsible that includes testing and
supporting through production and delivery for each kernel of code. They write and update their true policies like
this but Facebook has developed a DevOps culture and has successfully accelerated its development lifecycle.
Industries have started to gear up for digital transformation by shifting their means to weeks and months instead of
years while maintaining high quality as a result.  The solution to all this is- DevOps.
How DevOps is different from Traditional IT?
Traditional IT has 1000s lines of code and is created by different teams with different standards whereas DevOps is
created by one team with intimate knowledge of the product. Traditional IT is complex to understand and DevOps is
easily understandable.
DevOps Lifecycle
DevOps lifecycle is the methodology where professional development teams come together to bring products to
market more efficiently and quickly. The structure of the DevOps lifecycle consists of Plan, Code, Building, Test,
Releasing, Deploying, Operating,  and Monitoring.

 
 Plan: Determining the commercial needs and gathering the opinions of end-user by professionals in this level of
the DevOps lifecycle. 

 Code: At this level, the code for the same is developed and in order to simplify the design, the team of developers
uses tools and extensions that take care of security problems.
 Build: After the coding part, programmers use various tools for the submission of the code to the common code
source.
 Test: This level is very important to assure software integrity. Various sorts of tests are done such as user
acceptability testing, safety testing, speed testing, and many more.
 Release: At this level, everything is ready to be deployed in the operational environment.
 Deploy: In this level, Infrastructure-as-Code assists in creating the operational infrastructure and subsequently
publishes the build using various DevOps lifecycle tools.  
 Operate: At this level, the available version is ready for users to use. Here, the department looks after the server
configuration and deployment.
 Monitor: The observation is done at this level that depends on the data which is gathered from consumer
behavior, the efficiency of applications, and from various other sources.

Best Practices to follow:

 Implement automated dashboard

 Keep the entire team together
 Allow DevOps to be a cultural change
 Be patient with the developers
 Maintain a centralized unit
 Build a flexible infrastructure
Advantages:
1. Faster Delivery: DevOps enables organizations to release new products and updates faster and more frequently,
which can lead to a competitive advantage.
2. Improved Collaboration: DevOps promotes collaboration between development and operations teams, resulting in
better communication, increased efficiency, and reduced friction.
3. Improved Quality: DevOps emphasizes automated testing and continuous integration, which helps to catch bugs
early in the development process and improve the overall quality of software.
4. Increased Automation: DevOps enables organizations to automate many manual processes, freeing up time for
more strategic work and reducing the risk of human error.
5. Better Scalability: DevOps enables organizations to quickly and efficiently scale their infrastructure to meet
changing demands, improving the ability to respond to business needs.
6. Increased Customer Satisfaction: DevOps helps organizations to deliver new features and updates more quickly,
which can result in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
7. Improved Security: DevOps promotes security best practices, such as continuous testing and monitoring, which
can help to reduce the risk of security breaches and improve the overall security of an organization’s systems.
8. Better Resource Utilization: DevOps enables organizations to optimize their use of resources, including
hardware, software, and personnel, which can result in cost savings and improved efficiency.
Disadvantages:
1. High Initial Investment: Implementing DevOps can be a complex and costly process, requiring significant
investment in technology, infrastructure, and personnel.
2. Skills Shortage: Finding qualified DevOps professionals can be a challenge, and organizations may need to invest
in training and development programs to build the necessary skills within their teams.
3. Resistance to Change: Some employees may resist the cultural and organizational changes required for successful
DevOps adoption, which can result in resistance, resistance to collaboration, and reduced efficiency.
4. Lack of Standardization: DevOps is still a relatively new field, and there is a lack of standardization in terms of
methodologies, tools, and processes. This can make it difficult for organizations to determine the best approach
for their specific needs.
5. Increased Complexity: DevOps can increase the complexity of software delivery, requiring organizations to
manage a larger number of moving parts and integrate multiple systems and tools.
6. Dependency on Technology: DevOps relies heavily on technology, and organizations may need to invest in a
variety of tools and platforms to support the DevOps process.
7. Need for Continuous Improvement: DevOps requires ongoing improvement and adaptation, as new technologies
and best practices emerge. Organizations must be prepared to continuously adapt and evolve their DevOps
practices to remain competitive.

he Seven Must-know DevOps Principles

There’s a difference between principles and best practices. Best practices are universal concepts, applicable anywhere.
Consider them more generic, widely accepted quality standards that any industry can apply. Principles, however, are
geared more to a product or vision. In this instance, the principles apply to the DevOps methodology.

Look up “DevOps principles'' on any search engine, and you’ll find articles listing the best five, six, seven, nine, even
twelve DevOps principles. We have narrowed down the field and chosen 7 principles of DevOps that are the most
necessary for its successful implementation.

The seven fundamental DevOps principles:

 Create a Collaborative Environment.

DevOps brings together development and operation teams, which implies an atmosphere of collaboration, a unified
team that pursues common goals. Consequently, the teams are encouraged to communicate, brainstorm, share ideas,
and solve problems together. Furthermore, this collaboration must start from the top and work its way down, beginning
with executive support.

 Automate, Automate, Automate

So important, we said it three times. The DevOps team should automate as much of the process as possible.
Automation can benefit operations like Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), infrastructure
provisioning, security compliance verification tests, functionality tests, and software deployment. The more you can
automate processes, the safer, faster, and more reliable the product release.

 Monitor the Process Continuously

Not only should the DevOps team implement the CI/CD pipeline, but they should also bolster this process with
continuous monitoring. The DevOps team must monitor apps, logs, infrastructure, and systems, keeping an eye out for
problems. When the team detects a problem, they can quickly revert the application to its previous state and resolve the
issue. Continuous monitoring also spots productivity issues that may slow down pipeline productivity.

 Implement End-to-End Responsibility

The traditional software development model gave the software developers and operations separate roles. Under
DevOps, however, both groups are accountable for the application from start to finish.
 Foster Continuous Improvement

Customer needs change, technology improves, and governing bodies adopt new regulations. DevOps teams release a
solid product and work to continuously improve the product's performance, compliance, and speed. Thus, the final
product release doesn’t end the story; the team keeps an eye on the application and ensures it stays relevant in a
changing world.

 Don’t Be Afraid to Fail. Learn From It

No one likes to fail, of course. But rather than treating failure as a personal blow, teams must change their attitudes and
see failure as a chance to learn something. In other words, learn from your mistakes. After all, errors inevitably happen;
you may as well get some benefit from them!

 It’s All About the Customer

If you don’t have clients, you don’t need to create a product. If you don’t need to create a product, you don’t have a
job. That’s why DevOps teams need to deliver a product that meets the customer’s needs. DevOps teams must always
keep an ear open to the client’s voice, maintaining pace with their always-changing needs.

The DevOps Culture

The DevOps mindset creates strong collaborative bonds between software development and operations teams. The
DevOps culture unites development, operations, and quality assurance into one set of continuous actions. The DevOps
environment and culture are built on these foundations:

 Constant collaboration and communication. These two elements are the bedrock of the DevOps culture. DevOps
teams must work as a single unit while being mindful of the needs and expectations of all their members.
 Gradual changes. Rather than releasing everything at once and risk producing a flawed product, implementing
incremental rollouts enables delivery teams to release a quality product to end-users while having the chance to
make updates and roll back development if errors crop up. It’s far better to make corrections while the product is in
the process of development rather than having to pull a completed release to address bugs and other mistakes.
 Shared end-to-end responsibility. When every development team member is heading in the same direction towards
one goal and shares equal responsibility for a project from start to finish, they work as a cohesive unit. This single-
mindedness creates an atmosphere of cooperation and teamwork, encouraging members to look for ways to make
work easier for their teammates.
 Early problem-solving. The DevOps philosophy requires that tasks be completed as early in the project lifecycle as
possible. This way, if there are any problems, they will be tackled and resolved much faster. This methodology
keeps the development on schedule.
 The Benefits of DevOps Principles

There are three key benefits of DevOps Principles in order to adopt the DevOps mindset.

 Faster response to customer needs. In today’s competitive digital market, businesses must release products that the
customers want. If your business can’t do it, prospective clients will take their business elsewhere. DevOps helps
companies react faster to changing customer needs and wants, allowing the team to add new updates and features
faster. This process, in turn, improves customer loyalty and retention.
 Better quality products get released and faster! The CI/CD system embraced by the DevOps methodology means
faster releases of reliable applications, free of bugs. As a result, errors are caught in the early stages of development,
not after the product hits the market.
 It creates a better working environment. Communication is the foundation of any successful relationship, including
relationships between team members and other people in the company. DevOps brings practices and principles
conducive to better communication, collaboration, and cooperation. This greater level of communication, in turn,
improves morale, which makes for a healthier, more productive working environment.

  DevOps Automation
Automation is the crucial need for DevOps practices, and automate everything is the fundamental principle of DevOps.
Automation kick starts from the code generation on the developers machine, until the code is pushed to the code and
after that to monitor the application and system in the production.

Automating infrastructure set up and configurations, and software deployment is the key highlight of DevOps practice.
DevOps practice id is dependent on automation to make deliveries over a few hours and make frequent deliveries
across platforms.

Automation in DevOps boosts speed, consistency, higher accuracy, reliability, and increases the number of deliveries.
Automation in DevOps encapsulates everything right from the building, deploying, and monitoring.

DevOps Automation Tools

In large DevOps team that maintain extensive massive IT infrastructure can be classified into six categories, such as:

o Infrastructure Automation
o Configuration Management
o Deployment Automation
o Performance Management
o Log management
o Monitoring

Below are few tools in each of these categories let see in brief, such as:

Infrastructure Automation

Amazon Web Services (AWS): Being a cloud service, you don't need to be physically present in the data center, they
are easy to scale on-demand, and there are no up-front hardware costs. It can be configured to provide more servers
based on traffic automatically.
Configuration Management

Chef: Chef is a handy DevOps tool for achieving speed, scale, and consistency. It can be used to ease out of complex
tasks and perform configuration management. With the help of this tool, the DevOps team can avoid making changes
across ten thousand servers. Rather, they need to make changes in one place, which is automatically reflected in other
servers.

Deployment Automation

Jenkins: It facilitates continuous integration and testing. It helps to integrate project changes more efficiently by
quickly finding issues as soon as built is deployed.

Performance Management

App Dynamic: It offers real-time performance monitoring. The data collected by this tool help developers to debug
when issues occur.

Log Management

Splunk: This DevOps tool solves issues such as storing, aggregating, and analyzing all logs in one place.

Monitoring

Nagios: It notified people when infrastructure and related service go down. Nagios is a tool for this purpose, which
helps the DevOps team to find and correct problems.

Performance measurement through KPIS and Metrics

Tracking performance metrics provides a way for businesses to measure growth and development. Productivity, profit
margin, scope and cost are some examples of performance metrics that a business can track to determine if target
objectives and goals are being met. There are different areas of a business, and each area will have its own key
performance metrics.

What are performance metrics?

Performance metrics are measurable data used to track processes within a business using activities, employee behavior
and productivity as key metrics. These metrics track and measure the achievement of overall business goals.
Performance metrics are a collection of data that employers evaluate against an established objective (like employee
productivity or sales objectives).

It is important to note the difference between a performance metric and a key performance indicator (KPI).
Performance metrics are measured within an area of a business against an established objective or goal. Performance
metrics result in broader data than a key performance indicator. A KPI will use a specific target metric to measure
performance.

An organization uses performance management strategies by tracking metrics that measure areas such as sales, project
management, employee productivity and overall business processes. Within each of these business performance areas
are metrics that measure different key aspects. For example, sales metrics are a type of business performance metric
that measures sales data.

Most businesses track a common group of performance metrics to measure success and meet objectives. Good
performance metrics should provide data that can be applied right away to reach business goals. The following are
important metrics businesses use to track performance in each area.
 1. Business performance metrics
2. Sales performance metrics
3. Project management performance metrics 
4. Employee performance metrics

1. Business performance metrics 

Business performance metrics track and assess specific processes within a business, such as sales, marketing and
profitability. This allows for comparing data against established objectives or goals. The resulting data from tracking
performance metrics helps businesses determine where to make adjustments to reach set goals. Three important metrics
to track within the overall growth of a business include:

 ROI indicators: ROI indicators are important metrics to track because this data can determine whether an
investment will result in a return (profit) or not. Tracking ROI can help businesses decide which investments
are worth pursuing and which are not. For example, an investment that guarantees a return rate of 20% offers a
greater ROI compared to one that can only ensure a return of 10%.
 Profitability: Profitability is an essential performance metric that tracks a business’s profit margin and
compares that data to target goals. This can help determine if any adjustments are necessary to reach those
goals. For instance, a business can use profitability metrics to track its average profit margin compared to its
goal profit margin. The company can use this data to change sales methods used to generate profit.
 Productivity: Productivity metrics measure the ratio of work generated to the resources used. For example, an
assembly line employee who can produce 100 items in an hour is more productive than one who can only
produce 50 items in an hour.

2. Sales performance metrics 

Sales metrics measure an individual’s or a team’s performance in sales of a business’s products or services. Common
sales performance metrics can include sales action, lead generation and retention and key performance indicators like
total revenue and customer reach. Companies track sales metrics by comparing these actions to sales goals the team or
company sets. Monitoring each area will provide valuable insight into how a business’s sales methods are working.

 Activity: Activity metrics provide data on what a business’s salespeople are doing daily. Sales managers can
influence sales activity (like implementing daily sales quotas or a minimum number of sales phone calls),
making it manageable to track. Sales activity is measured through metrics like the number of calls made or
emails and proposals sent to prospects.
 Lead generation: Lead generation metrics are important to track so businesses can assess the prospect stage of
acquiring new sales. Average lead response time and percentage of follow-ups are two examples of good lead
generation metrics to track in sales.
 Sales productivity: Sales productivity metrics track the rate at which a salesperson or team meets revenue goals.
The less time it takes for a revenue goal to be met, the higher the sales productivity. Data such as time spent on
selling activities and the average number of sales tools used during that time are examples of sales performance
metrics.

3. Project management performance metrics 

Project management performance metrics are used to measure the effectiveness and profitability of a project. From the
first assignment brief to its completion, the processes within each stage of a project are measured and compared to
goals and objectives. This data can offer insight into how the project should be completed. A project manager typically
tracks performance metrics from areas including: 
  Productivity: Tracking productivity provides data that enables a project manager to assess resources used to
complete the project and total effort made within the project parameters.
 Scope of work: Metrics that measure a project’s scope provide data that can help determine the timeline and
budget needed to complete the project.
 Quality and satisfaction: Quality and satisfaction metrics measure the quality of the project’s deliverable at its
completion and include customer-centric data.
 Cost: Cost metrics are key performance metrics to track in project management. Cost management needs to
account for any unexpected variables that could arise during the project timeline.
 Gross margin: Gross margin is the difference between the total cost of the project and the revenue it generates
for an organization. Gross margin is a key performance metric and is usually targeted at the beginning of a
project, keeping the process focused on a set revenue goal. 

4. Employee performance metrics 

Employee performance metrics assess employees’ productivity and efficiency in reaching established benchmarks that
contribute to the overall growth of a business. Tracking employee performance metrics helps managers can influence
adjustments or make necessary improvements to help employees reach their work goals. Common employee
performance metrics that businesses track include: 

 Quality: Work quality metrics are used to measure the quality of employee performance. Subjective appraisal is
the best-known metric to measure work quality as it breaks down broader business goals into smaller,
individual employee goals that can be achieved with support from management.
 Quantity: Work quantity is another employee performance metric to track as it is easier to measure than quality.
Common metrics measured include number of sales or items produced.
 Efficiency: Work efficiency metrics combine data from work quality and quantity to track the resources used to
produce an output. The time or money it takes to produce a product is an example of a work efficiency metric
to track.
 Productivity: Employee productivity is a key performance metric that can help businesses change processes,
behavior and meet target goals.

Difference between Agile and DevOps

Agile: Agile program advancement comprises different approaches to computer program improvement beneath which
prerequisites and arrangements advance through the collaborative exertion of self-organizing and cross-functional
groups and their customer/end client. 
Basically, it breaks the product into two pieces and then integrates them for final testing. There are many ways through
which it can be implemented, such as Kanban, XP, Scrum and many more.
DevOps: DevOps could be a set of hones that combines program improvement and information-technology operations
which points to abbreviating the framework’s advancement life cycle and giving nonstop conveyance with tall program
quality. 
Facebook’s mobile app which is updated every two weeks effectively tells users you can have what you want and you
can have it. Now ever wondered how Facebook was able to do social smoothing? It’s the DevOps philosophy that
helps facebook and sure that apps aren’t outdated and that users get the best experience on Facebook. Facebook
accomplishes this true code ownership model that makes its developers responsible that includes testing and supporting
through production and delivery for each kernel of code. They write and update their true policies like this but
Facebook has developed a DevOps culture and has successfully accelerated its development lifecycle.
S.
No. Agile DevOps

1. It started in the year 2001. It started in the year 2007.

Invented by John Allspaw and Paul

Hammond at Flickr, and the Phoenix
2. Invented by John Kern, and Martin Fowler.  Project by Gene Kim.

It is not related to software development.

Instead, the software that is used by
DevOps is pre-built, dependable, and
3. Agile is a method for creating software. simple to deploy.

Typically a conclusion of administration

4. An advancement and administration approach. related to designing.

DevOps centers on steady testing and

5. The agile handle centers on consistent changes. conveyance.

DevOps to have a few best hones that ease

the method – 1. Focus on specialized
A few of the finest steps embraced in Agile are recorded greatness. 2. Collaborate straightforwardly
6. underneath – 1. Backlog Building 2.Sprint advancement with clients and join their feedback.

Agile relates generally to the way advancement is carried of, any DevOps centers more on program
division of the company can be spry in its hones. This may be arrangement choosing the foremost
7. accomplished through preparation. dependable and most secure course.

All the group individuals working in a spry hone have a wide DevOps features a diverse approach and is
assortment of comparable ability sets. This is often one of the very viable, most of the time it takes after
points of interest of having such a group since within the time of “Divide and Conquer”. Work partitioned
requirement any of the group individuals can loan help instead of among the improvement and operation
8. holding up for the group leads or any pro impedances. groups.

Spry accepts “smaller and concise”. Littler the group superior it DevOps, on the other hand, accepts that
9. would be to convey with fewer complexities. “bigger is better”.

DevOps, on the other hand, prioritizes

reliabilities. It is since of this behavior that
Since Agile groups are brief, a foreordained sum of time is there they can center on a long-term plan that
which are sprints. Tough, it happens that a sprint has endured minimizes commerce’s unsettling
10. longer than a month but regularly a week long. influences.

It demands collaboration among different

11. A big team for your project is not required. teams for the completion of work.

Some of the Tools- 

 Puppet
Some of the Tools-   Ansible
  Bugzilla  AWS
 JIRA   Chef
12.  Kanboard and more.  team City OpenStack and more.
 S.
No. Agile DevOps

It centers on the complete engineering

13. It is suitable for managing complex projects in any department. process.

14. It does not focus on the automation. It focusses on automation.

Working system gets more significance in Agile than The process documentation is significant in
15. documentation. DevOps.

Agile Infrastructure

What is Agile?

Before we define Agile infrastructure, let’s first understand what Agile is all about. Even as globalization has shrunk
the world, it has also brought in a lot of unpredictability— and in some cases even chaos!  

To cope with these volatile markets, companies realized that they needed to do all they could to adapt to changes,
support newly evolving technologies and keep productivity levels up. They found that Agile was the answer.  

Agile is the ability to create and respond to change. It is a way of dealing with, and ultimately succeeding in, an
uncertain and turbulent environment. —Agile Alliance 

The Agile framework was conceptualized in the early 1990s as an alternative to old-fashioned and rigid project
management systems that were opposed to change of any kind. Agile is cantered on four values that inform and guide
its processes, and they prioritize 

 Individuals and interactions over Processes and tools 

 Working software over Comprehensive documentation 
 Customer collaboration over Contract negotiation 
 Responding to change over Following a plan 
The fourth value talks about ‘responding to change, as opposed to following a plan.’ By doing this, agility helps an
organization to cope with change and adapt to evolving conditions. Agile’s iterative and incremental model supports
flexibility and helps organizations align themselves with changing conditions.  

Originally conceptualized as a software development methodology, Agile has now transformed into a general
framework for managing any kind of project and has found acceptance in sectors as diverse as healthcare and retail,
marketing and pharma. At its very basic, Agile requires a culture shift and a change in mindset. It is flexible and
versatile and encourages quick responses to changing conditions.

What is Agile Infrastructure?

Traditional ‘waterfall’ infrastructure does not allow changes till the very end and is not the best solution for complex
and volatile projects. 

In contrast, an Agile infrastructure is one that supports incremental upgrades, quick deployment and provisioning, and
allows for feedback and improvements at every stage.  

Agile infrastructure is founded on Agile values and principles and applies them to the hardware and software
components of the organizational IT networks. With this infrastructure at the core, teams are easily able to adapt to
new technology and collaborate across geographies. They work in small increments using lightweight deployment and
roll out applications in quick successive releases.

Why the Need for Agile Infrastructure

 Rapid Deployment: In a traditional project, processes were linear, and it was only when the project was
nearing completion that the product would be released. In direct contrast to this way of working, Agile works
on the premise of quick, iterative releases, each of which represents a completed feature or set of features in
their entirety. This results in faster deployment and continuous delivery of value and sets in motion an iterative
cycle of feedback and improvements. 
 More Flexibility: Traditional infrastructure is rigid and conservative and does not easily allow for change.
However, with Agile, teams can factor in amendments as and when required, course correct at any stage over
the course of the project journey and deliver releases that are in sync with customer expectations and the
changing needs of the market. 
 Continuous Feedback: Traditional project methods would typically solicit feedback only after the project was
completed. This could result in setting back the final release, and it would often take months to redo the project
in accordance with the changes requested. The feedback cycle in Agile Infrastructure allows for stakeholder
and end user inputs at every stage. This helps to mould the product according to what the customers need over
the course of the project, rather than stick to what was defined during the initial stages. 
 Continuous Improvement: As Agile believes in rapid deployments, the end users can review and use the
product in phases. After each incremental release they give their feedback and the product is improved
accordingly, getting fine-tuned at each stage so that it completely meets all the expectations of the customers. 
Limitations of Agile Infrastructure

Agile infrastructure comes with some limitations, and these could pose complex challenges that must be overcome. 

 Infrastructure involves hardware, software and networks, and in certain scenarios the hardware is fixed and
cannot be easily changed. This could make a do over hard, even when required. 
 As infrastructure deals with physical hardware, there is a limit on the initial release cycles. Due to the nature of
certain projects, the first release of a minimum viable product might need a large number of setup tasks to be
completed. As a result the initial release might turn out too long and break the cadence of equal cycles. 
 Again, while projects that deal only with software are flexible, when the hardware aspects of an Agile
infrastructure project need to be course-corrected it gets very complicated. It is easy to start over with software
development, but the same is not the case with hardware. 
 Agile is based on the concept of cross-functional teams, with resources who are capable of collaborating and
multi-tasking. When it comes to infrastructure projects, people often have specialized skills only. They may not
be required for a long period on a single Agile project and will be working on two or more projects at the same
time. As a result, they might be unavailable when needed on a particular project and this will hamper progress. 
 Short iterations and quick release cycles work well with software development, but when it comes to dealing
with hardware releases these may not be viable.   
Velocity in Agile

Connected to the principle of iterative development, velocity in Agile is used to measure how much work can be
completed in each iteration. It is widely used as a calibration tool to help development teams create accurate and
efficient timelines.

Velocity in Agile is not meant to be used as a goal or benchmark to strive for because it is measured relatively
depending on what makes the most sense for the team measuring it. While maintaining consistency is ideal, Agile
velocity is meant to be used mainly as a planning tool.

How is Velocity in Agile Measured?

Velocity in Agile is a simple calculation measuring units of work completed in a given timeframe. Units of work can
be measured in several ways, including engineer hours, user stories, or story points.
The same applies to timeframe; it’s typically measured in iterations, sprints, or weeks. However, you decide to measure
velocity should be how you continue to measure it going forward.
For example, to track Agile velocity, most Scrum teams measure the number of user points in a given sprint. Once this
is measured based on a few sprints, the team can then predict how many user points they should plan to complete per
sprint. This ultimately reveals how many sprints it will take to complete a project, and helps the team to measure
efficiency along the way.

How Does Agile Velocity Help Measure Efficiency?

The raw numbers of Agile velocity will not reveal much; it is the trends that will help you measure and improve
efficiency. A misconception about velocity in Agile is that it should be used as an efficiency goal, which is not the
intended use case.
Here is a common mistake that gets made because of this misconception: When a team sees velocity numbers
decreasing, they ask “how can we get the number back up to where it was?” This runs the risk of pressuring developers
to cut corners in order to achieve a particular velocity goal.
Instead, when your Agile velocity numbers are trending down, it should signal you to dig deeper into possible
inefficiencies that may be causing the downward trend. If you are confident that there aren’t any, then you may want to
plan for a lower velocity number going forward. This would yield a more accurate budget and timeline.
Likewise, an increase in Agile velocity numbers should be looked into as well. It could be a sign that the team is
moving too fast and quality has declined.
If that’s not the case, and you find you can accomplish higher velocity numbers than planned for – without risking
quality – you can shave a few iterations off of the overall timeline.
Lean Startup UPS

The lean startup methodology and when it can be beneficial to take this approach.

The lean startup methodology is a method of managing and building a business or startup by experimenting, testing,
and iterating while developing products based on findings from your tests and feedback.

This method of business management and product development is designed to deliver products to customers at a
quicker pace (often tested in the form of an MVPby focusing on product features that have been validated through
explicit customer feedback at various stages in the product development cycle.

Entrepreneur Eric Ries first introduced this methodology in a book that he authored in 2008, which is titled "How
Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Business".

If you are currently thinking about creating a business and are searching for methods of doing so, it's recommended
that you understand the difference between the lean startup methodology and the traditional methodology. Knowing
what the lean methodology entails should help you determine if the method is right for you and your business.

This article takes a closer and more in-depth look at the lean startup methodology and when it can be beneficial to take
this approach.

What Is “Lean Startup” Methodology?

The lean startup methodology is used to develop products and businesses in a short period of time, which allows the
creator of the product or business to quickly determine if their business model is a viable one. When implementing the
lean startup methodology, the business that uses this methodology will focus on developing a product while also
gaining customer feedback, which usually involves releasing a minimum viable product to the market or a small subset
of your customers.

The Goal
The goal of using this methodology is to get rid of wasteful practices during the initial stages of a company, which
provides the company with a higher possibility of long-term success. By using the lean startup methodology, it's
possible for early-stage startups to garner success without requiring high amounts of funding, comprehensive business
plans, or a product that has no flaws.

For the lean startup process to be successful, the startup that uses it will need to focus on obtaining customer feedback
on the initial product. This feedback will help you make changes and iterations on the product that will allow it to be
improved over time in accordance with the wishes of the customers. The customer feedback that you receive should
also keep you from spending resources on services and features that your customers don't want. The lean startup
methodology is aimed at using the lowest amount of resources possible.

This idea was first brought about by entrepreneur Eric Ries in a novel that he put out in 2008. This book centered
around using innovation to create successful businesses. He created this methodology in order to minimize the inherent
risks that come with creating a startup. As stated in the novel, these risks can be minimized by creating minimum
viable products, consistently learning throughout the development process, and experimenting constantly. Eric Ries
created this idea from knowledge he gained after two previous business failures as well as the streamlined process of
making vehicles that occurred in Japan during the years immediately following WWII. Ries believes that efficiency is
the only way for a startup to be successful without wasting necessary resources.

Build, Measure, Learn

The methodology of the lean startup technique centers around build, measure, and learn, which Ries wrote about in
his novel.
Build
This methodology begins with the creation of a minimum viable product, which refers to a service or product that has
enough features to keep customers satisfied while you test your theory that the product can be successful on the
market. Keep in mind that an MVP shouldn't be provided to all of your customers. Instead, you should select a small
subset of customers across a range of demographics who can use your product.

This is the build component of the lean startup methodology. Since building is the first aspect of this methodology, it's
highly recommended that you begin creating a basic product or service in the early days of your startup.

Measure
When looking at the measure component of this methodology, it's essential that you effectively measure the results of
your minimum viable product while you continue to develop the product. The feedback that's provided to you by these
customers can be used to fine-tune the product and make it more feature-rich. If you find that the very idea of your
MVP isn't gaining traction with the customers that the MVP was provided to, you should be able to get rid of the basic
product without having used too much of your resources.

The feedback that you receive can be measured in a variety of ways. If you are creating a business that exists solely
online, you would gain feedback by providing customers with surveys and by looking at the analytics for your website
to determine what you're doing well and what could be improved.

For an actual product that's being tested before it's placed on the market, the feedback can be easier to obtain by asking
testers questions about the product that they're using. Once you've obtained data on your minimum viable product, you
can start learning from this data, which is the third component of the lean startup methodology.

Learn
It's not enough to measure the results from the product that you've received and to obtain feedback from the initial
customers. If you want to eventually create a product or service that's ready to be placed on the market, it's important
that you learn from the data and feedback that you've received, which isn't always an easy thing to do.

For instance, some of the feedback that you receive might not lead to the creation of a successful product. However,
this feedback is best used to identify which aspects of the product aren't working and which ones may need to be
refined. If you can effectively learn from the results of the product testing, you should be able to develop a product that
meets the needs of your target audience.

The main characteristics of a lean startup include:

 Allows you to develop a product based on the desires of the market

 Uses validated learning to determine customer interest
 Focuses on metrics like product popularity and lifetime customer value
 Starts out with a minimum viable product to asses the reaction that customers have to the product
 Experimentation is favored as opposed to sticking to a strict plan

Traditional Startup Approach

The main characteristics of a traditional startup include:

 Begins with the creation of an extensive business plan that's used as a rigid structure for the next few years
 Includes financial projections
 Involves creating products in secret where only employees and investors have any idea about the product
 Business plan is used to obtaining funding from angel investors or VC firms

What Does It Mean to Be a Lean Startup?

If you want your startup to use the lean methodology, this means that you need to center your business around the
customer. If you have an idea for a product or service, you won't start by creating a business plan for your company.
Instead, you should begin to creating a minimum viable product. Keep in mind that customers will see the development
process first-hand, which isn't always a comforting sight. However, this can help you improve customer loyalty. The
minimum viable product that you create should only have the most basic features that will allow customers to actively
interact with the product.

Once you have created an MVP, the next step of the process involves providing it to a small subset of your target
audience. If these individuals don't like a product that you put out, it will be very difficult for you to obtain a lasting
customer base. As customers use your MVP, you should focus on obtaining their feedback, which can then be used to
make changes to the product and eventually make it more feature-complete.

When you become a lean startup, you should expect to experiment on a regular basis. While the results may not always
be favored by your customers, scaling back changes should be easy with the iterative approach that you're taking to
product development. Over time, you should be able to create a product that's ready to be released on the market. This
is a very fast method of product development that should help you save money. However, it can be hectic as you react
to the feedback that you receive from test customers.

Why Is It Important?
It's important to know about the lean startup methodology because it can be the basis for your entire company. Whether
you choose the traditional startup approach or the lean approach, understanding the differences between these two
methods should make it easier for you to determine which approach would best fit your new startup. At University
Lab Partners, we can help provide you with the space and resources that you require to use the lean startup
methodology.

Whether you're in the midst of creating a minimum viable product or are currently examining the feedback that you've
received, the ULP wet-lab incubator offers shared office space and lab space that can help you keep expenses down.
By renting equipment and space instead of buying them, you should be able to put your resources into research or
product development, which can be far more beneficial for business growth.