Calling the methodology 'agile' was a naming mistake, since the word is so vague that everyone claims to be 'agile' even when they aren't — unlike the deliberately pointed term 'extreme programming.'

Kent Beck says he objected to the term 'agile' from the start and still does, because unlike 'extreme programming,' it's too vague a word for anyone to be caught out for misusing. ✦ AI generated

Kent Beck · The Pragmatic Engineer · 2026-07-01 · original ↗

Kent objected to the word “agile” at the time, and still does today, since nobody claims they prefer “rigid” development, and everyone says they’re “agile”, even when they’re not. He would’ve preferred a less spacious term, like with “extreme programming”: after all, it’s hard to call yourself an “extreme programmer” without actually following that methodology.

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