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Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know (2nd Edition)
Estimated delivery between June 09 and June 11.
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Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know (2nd Edition)
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Description
- Complete coverage of Agile fundamentals
- Practical Scrum framework implementation
- Dedicated chapter on Agile in hybrid and remote settings
- Solved examples and practice exercises for concept reinforcement
Master Agile Project Management—From Fundamentals to Remote Team Leadership!
If you're looking to optimize workflows, adapt to changing requirements, and deliver projects faster, Agile Essentials You Always Wanted to Know (2nd Edition) is your complete guide to understanding and implementing Agile.
Co-authored by Kalpesh Ashar (MBA, CSM, PMI-ACP, with more than 21 years of global experience) and Sandeep Rana (a product and program management professional who has worked with Apollo Global Management, PayU, Safran, and HSBC), the book balances clear theory with real-world insights.
The book progresses systematically from the Agile Manifesto to planning, execution, tracking, reporting, and leading teams. What sets this edition apart is the NEW Chapter 7: Agile in Remote Teams, which addresses the realities of hybrid work, distributed collaboration, accountability in virtual environments, and the need to maintain team trust and psychological safety.
Additionally, two complete case studies—including building a research access platform with Scrumban—provide practical application of key concepts.
After reading this book, you'll be able to:
- Apply Agile values and principles to diverse projects
- Implement Scrum roles, events, and artifacts
- Track progress and communicate using Agile reporting tools
- Lead high-performing Agile teams in co-located and remote settings
Part of Vibrant Publishers' Self-Learning Management Series, this book serves as an essential resource for beginners, project managers, and executives driving Agile transformation in modern, distributed work environments.
Bibliographic Details
Pages: 212 pages
Paperback (ISBN): 9781636516417
eBook (ISBN): 9781636516424
Hardback (Color): 9781636516431
Trim Size: 5.5” x 8.5”
Category: Business & Economics
Author: Kalpesh Ashar, Sandeep Rana, Vibrant Publishers
Table of Contents
1. Agile Overview
1.1 What is Agile?
1.2 Need for Agile
1.3 Agile Characteristics
1.4 Agile Myths
1.5 Agile Manifesto
1.6 Agile Methodologies
Chapter Summary
Solved Examples
Practice Exercises
2. Scrum
2.1 Scrum Overview
2.2 Scrum Pillars
2.3 Scrum Roles
2.4 Scrum Events
2.5 Scrum Artifacts
2.6 Scrum Chronology of Events
Chapter Summary
Solved Examples
Practice Exercises
3. Agile Planning
3.1 Agile Planning vs. Traditional Planning
3.2 Requirements Gathering
3.3 Prioritization
3.4 Estimation
Chapter Summary
Solved Examples
Practice Exercises
4. Agile Execution
4.1 Risk Management
4.2 Prototypes, Simulations, Demonstrations
4.3 Test-Driven Development (TDD) / Test-First Development (TFD)
4.4 Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD)
4.5 Cycle Time
4.6 Escaped Defects
4.7 Agile Contracting
Chapter Summary
Solved Examples
Practice Exercises
5. Agile Tracking and Reporting
5.1 Agile Communications
5.2 Information Radiators
5.3 Agile Earned Value Management (EVM)
Chapter Summary
Solved Examples
Practice Exercises
6. Case Study - Building a Research Access Platform with Scrum & Kanban (Scrumban)
6.1 Agile Team Characteristics
6.2 Agile Leadership
Chapter Summary
Solved Examples
Practice Exercises
7. Agile in Remote Teams — Succeeding in the Hybrid, Post-COVID World
7.1 The Changing World of Agile
7.2 The Shift to Remote and Hybrid Work
7.3 Core Agile Values in a Remote Context
7.4 Redesigning Agile Ceremonies for Remote Teams
7.5 Collaboration and Communication Tools
7.6 Accountability and Visibility in Remote Teams
7.7 Team Dynamics, Trust, and Psychological Safety
7.8 Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Chapter Summary
Solved Examples
Practice Exercises
Case Study - Async Efficiency with a Touch of Sync
Glossary
References
Author
Kalpesh Ashar is a management consultant and corporate trainer. He holds an MBA from SPJIMR, an Engineering degree, and Agile certifications including CSM (Certified Scrum Master), PMI-ACP (PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner), and SFPC – Scrum Foundations Professional Certificate. Mr. Ashar has over 21 years of experience in large organizations and start-ups in Asia, USA, and Europe. His background provides a platform from which to write in a way to help people with diverse backgrounds understand business topics.
Sandeep Rana is an Agile-focused product and program management professional who has led digital initiatives for Apollo, PayU, Safran, Gemalto, and HSBC worldwide. Together, they bring a practical, people-centric view of Agile to help teams deliver meaningful results in a changing world.
Vibrant Publishers is focused on presenting the best texts for learning about technology and business as well as books for test preparation. Categories include programming, operating systems and other texts focused on IT. In addition, a series of books helps professionals in their own disciplines learn the business skills needed in their professional growth.
Vibrant Publishers has a standardized test preparation series covering the GMAT, GRE and SAT, providing ample study and practice material in a simple and well organized format, helping students get closer to their dream universities.
Series
The Self-Learning Management Series is designed to help students, new managers, career switchers, and entrepreneurs learn essential management lessons and covers every aspect of business, from HR to Finance to Marketing to Operations across any and every industry. Each book includes basic fundamentals, important concepts, and standard and well-known principles as well as practical ways of application of the subject matter.
Editorial Reviews
Agile Essentials is a well-written and thoughtful introduction to the principles and practices of Agile ways of working, leading newcomers from basic concepts through to real-world examples and practical applications. Although aimed at beginners, there is a depth of knowledge which will be valuable to more experienced practitioners as well. The book provides a thorough grounding in Agile fundamentals, covering key frameworks such as Scrum and eXtreme Programming, and expands these with a variety of concrete examples. I found the chapters on Agile planning and the application of Agile for remote teams especially valuable.
-- Christopher W. Young, Chief Technology Officer, PMP®, PSM, Agile Coach
Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know delivers a thorough and technically robust introduction to Agile, combining essential theory with practical guidance that enables learners to immediately put their knowledge into action. Each chapter begins with sharply focused learning objectives, ensuring readers understand the key topics to be covered. I find value in the real-world case studies that illustrate Agile principles in practice, while solved examples reinforce understanding. Practical exercises at the end of each chapter allow readers to test and deepen their grasp of the material. This resource is indispensable for both newcomers to Agile and experienced practitioners seeking to enhance their skills.
-- Shadreck Phiri, PMP®, AgilePM®, P3O®, PRINCE2®
Managing Executive
Supplemental Resources
I design and deliver Agile transformation programs for mid-sized technology companies across the Pacific Northwest and have evaluated dozens of Agile books for training adoption over the past decade. This second edition by Kalpesh Ashar — a CSM, PMI-ACP, and SFPC certified consultant with 21-plus years of global experience — and Sandeep Rana — a digital program leader with tenures at PayU, HSBC, and Apollo Global Management — is the most credibly authored and practically organized Agile primer I have used. The new Chapter 7 on Agile in Remote Teams addresses distributed collaboration, asynchronous efficiency, psychological safety, and virtual accountability with a level of specificity that fills a gap in every previous edition I have reviewed. The Scrumban case study on building a research access platform is an excellent real-world anchor for the hybrid methodology content. Solved examples and practice quizzes throughout make facilitated group learning straightforward.
I was a traditional waterfall project manager at an IT services company in Chennai who was mandated to transition our team to Agile. I came to this book skeptical and left it genuinely converted. Kalpesh Ashar's treatment of the Agile Manifesto and its twelve principles in the opening chapters is the most clearly reasoned case for Agile adoption I have read — it addressed my specific concerns about documentation, planning, and governance with evidence rather than evangelism. The Scrum chapter's coverage of roles, events, and artifacts is thorough and precise. The Agile Planning section — covering Planning Poker, Story Points, Risk-Adjusted Backlogs, and Test-Driven Development — gave me a complete sprint planning toolkit. Sandeep Rana's experience at major financial institutions grounds the Agile Leadership content in corporate realities that academic Agile texts rarely address. After working through this book, I sat for and passed my CSM examination. An outstanding resource.
I lead engineering at a SaaS company in Austin and regularly onboard new Scrum Masters who have theoretical Agile knowledge but limited practical experience. This second edition has become the first book I recommend to every new hire in that role. Kalpesh Ashar's comprehensive coverage — spanning Scrum, Kanban, Agile planning and execution, tracking and reporting, and leadership — gives new Scrum Masters the full context they need without requiring multiple books. The Scrumban case study is particularly valuable for teams that operate in environments where pure Scrum is difficult to sustain. Sandeep Rana's real-world experience at Apollo Global Management, PayU, and HSBC gives the leadership and remote collaboration content a credibility that purely academic authors cannot match. The new Chapter 7 on Agile in Remote Teams is the most useful addition in this edition — our teams operate across three time zones and the async communication and psychological safety frameworks are directly applicable.
I am a senior project manager at a fintech company in Mumbai who has been self-studying for my PMI-ACP certification alongside a demanding work schedule. This second edition was my primary preparation resource and it was exactly what I needed. Kalpesh Ashar's SPJIMR MBA, 21-plus years of Agile consulting across Asia, the USA, and Europe, and multiple professional certifications give the book an academic grounding that also reads like real field guidance. The Agile Tracking and Reporting chapter — covering Burndown and Burnup Charts, Velocity Tracking, Cumulative Flow Diagrams, and Agile Earned Value Management — is the most thorough treatment of this area I have found in any beginner-to-intermediate Agile text. Sandeep Rana's corporate leadership experience at PayU and HSBC adds the organizational and remote team context that made the new Chapter 7 immediately applicable to my distributed project teams. A comprehensive and career-relevant study resource.
I am an engineering manager at a software company in Seattle and have been recommending Agile books to new Scrum Masters and team leads for years. This second edition by Kalpesh Ashar — a CSM, PMI-ACP certified consultant with 21-plus years of global experience — and Sandeep Rana, who has led digital programs at Apollo Global Management, PayU, and HSBC, brings a depth of real-world authority that most Agile introductions lack. The new Chapter 7 on Agile in Remote Teams addresses distributed collaboration, psychological safety, async communication, and virtual accountability in ways that are directly applicable to our hybrid team setup. The Scrumban case study is an excellent addition. Every chapter's solved examples and practice exercises make this far more actionable than competing titles.
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