I’ve written a few previous entries about the artifacts of Agile Work: the Work Item List (or Backlog), the Iteration Tasks, and the Record of Obstacles. But I’ve left the most important for last: the actual delivered final results.

No agile process is worth the name if it doesn’t deliver valuable results at the end of each iteration. In software, this means delivering running, functional, usable software every iteration. In documentary video, this means delivering a watchable, understandable story that communicates something about the topic every iteration. In construction, this means building a part of an edifice that can actually be used every iteration. In comic book production, this means creating a story told with pictures that is reproducable, comprehensible and engaging every iteration.

The other artifacts are all in support of this critical piece of the method. Only iterative delivery of valuable results allows effective learning and adaptive planning to take place.