Agile Projects: Too Much, Too Little, Too Late?
Originally published on LinkedIn - August 23, 2025
Driving home from a friend's house in Cardiff this afternoon after a wonderful lunch. I was chuckling when I heard the classic Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams song from 1978 on the radio.
A random thought occurred to me..
It struck me that it's a wonderful example of how it would be impossible for AI, at least at this stage, to suggest this marvellous song as a warning for when Agile projects go wrong.
1978's Too Much Too Little Too Late - Peaking at No: 3 in the UK Top 10
In the spirit of intuitive improvisation and proof positive of the human take, I have challenged myself to explain my logic this evening, and as follows.
Agile, when done right, is about delivering value early and often, listening to feedback, and adjusting course. But in practice, many teams slip into patterns that could have been lifted straight from the lyrics:
1. Too Much
Scope creep is the silent killer of momentum. Teams bite off more than they can chew, trying to please every stakeholder with every possible feature. Before long, your sprint backlog looks like a supermarket receipt — long, complicated, and nobody remembers what the hell half of it was for.
In Agile, “too much” often translates to bloated backlogs, overcommitment, and unfinished work. The cure? Ruthless prioritisation. Deliver what matters most now, and let the rest wait.
2. Too Little
On the other side of the coin, sometimes teams deliver only the safest, smallest increments. The “too little” problem means users never get enough to test, explore, or give meaningful feedback on. You may be sprinting, but you’re not really moving forward.
Agile thrives on delivering real slices of value. Not a half-button or a skeleton feature, but something tangible that users can pick up, click, or complain about (in a constructive way).
3. Too Late
Perhaps the biggest irony: projects labelled “Agile” that still take months (or years) before anything reaches a customer. Endless planning sessions, reams of Jira tickets, and not a single working product in sight.
By the time delivery happens, the market has shifted, customer needs have evolved, and leadership wonders why the big reveal isn’t relevant anymore.
The whole point of Agile is to beat the clock, not surrender to it. Working project increments are the measure of progress, not a Gantt chart/static Trello from three quarters ago.
Lessons From Johnny and Deniece
The song may be about romance, but the lesson applies to Agile too:
Don’t give too much at once — prioritise.
Don’t give too little — deliver meaningful increments.
Don’t be too late — get value into users’ hands as soon as possible.
Agile done well means the right amount, at the right time. It’s about balance, discipline, and focus. And if you get it right, you won’t have to sing Johnny’s and Deniece's lament to your stakeholders.
Question for you: Have you seen Agile projects fall into the “too much, too little, too late” trap? How did you bring them back on track?
While you think about it. Have a listen to this stunning song and enjoy this glorious Bank Holiday weekend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPkK1CNPtjk
#AgileDelivery #ProjectManagement #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #AgileMindset #Scrum #LeanThinking #ChangeManagement #Teamwork #DeliveryExcellence
