A winding path in a lush foret

The word epic, comes from the greek word for song, or just word.

In the IT-industry an epic is a collection of things to do. They belong together, but as a whole they are too big to do at once.

In fiction, the epic story is an extensive adventure. It turns the innocent main characters of the first chapter into seasoned adventurers, or even gods, before it ends. But there is also the expression an epic fail.

Agile development is an adventure. It is a place for exploration and growth. But if we want to go on until the author is dead and someone else will complete the story arch, we will have to pace ourselves and take one step at the time.

The epic fail enters when we lose track of the small steps. Putting all the small steps into an epic might make us forget to adapt. When the roadmap charts our journey over the night camp of the undead army, we need to be able to change course. Knowing why we are out here in the first place, will make sure that we end up in the right place anyway. So do not put your experiments into the bag of epic. It is one of the more treacherous magic items. In the bag of epics, experiments risk turning into stone, weighing you down on your agile journey. Instead, take each step for its own sake. Keep your head up and explore your surroundings. That way you will notice danger before there is no way evading it and eventually find your way home, while saving the world. Remember, not everything worth singing about is something you want to experience first hand. And as Tolkien puts it in The fellowship of the ring “Not all those who wander are lost.” and “even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

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