Some people in the 1990s had a problem with the classic engineering mindset of comparing software development to build engineering. Instead of trying to keep the requirements stable and not let them get out of hand through requirements creep or scope creep, they looked for a process that did not depend on the stability of requirement. Those people came up with a number of different ideas in response, and those methods are commonly known as lightweight methods. All of these form the Agile movement, together with lean manufacturing methods, and have grown very popular over time.

Now, what is it about Agile that everyone says nowadays? For some, it's way of life and of looking at things. In IT, according to Google, it is a method of project management, used especially for software development, that is characterized by the division of tasks into short phases of work and the frequent reassessment and adaptation of plans.

Officially, Agile is not a method, but a collective term. Agile was born from several other methods to develop products (mostly software). Examples include XP, Scrum, the Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), Adaptive Software Development, and Crystal. These methods share the common characteristic that they all aim for less bureaucracy during product and software development, and embrace change. In the 1980s and 1990s, these separate methods were developed by various experts, who eventually set up the Agile Manifesto in 2001. These were mainly intended to prevent problems with the application of traditional waterfall methods.

All of the big names from different Agile disciplines eventually decided to come together informally and discuss ways to help IT improve. The Agile Manifesto was drawn up during this meeting of 17 software developers. It took place from February 11 to February 13, 2001, at The Lodge in Snowbird, Utah. The name Agile was also chosen here. Word has it that the name lightweight method was on the table, but Agile was eventually chosen.