敏捷宣言的诞生：
2001年2月11日到13日，17位软件开发领域的领军人物聚集在美国犹他州的滑雪胜地雪鸟（Snowbird）雪场。经过两天的讨论，“敏捷”（Agile）这个词为全体聚会者所接受，用以概括一套全新的软件开发价值观。这套价值观，通过一份简明扼要的《敏捷宣言》，传递给世界，宣告了敏捷开发运动的开始。
敏捷开发的12条准则:
准则1：Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
我们的最高目标是，通过尽早和持续地交付有价值的软件来满足客户。
准则2：Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.
欢迎对需求提出变更——即使是在项目开发后期。要善于利用需求变更，帮助客户获得竞争优势。
准则3：Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of mouths, with a preference for the shorter timescale.
要不断交付可用的软件，周期从几周到几个月不等，且越短越好。
准则4：Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
项目过程中，业务人员与开发人员必须在一起工作。
准则5：Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
要善于激励项目人员，给他们以所需要的环境和支持，并相信他们能够完成任务。
准则6：The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
无论是团队内还是团队间，最有效的沟通方法是面对面的交谈。
准则7：Working software is the primary measure of progress.
可用的软件是衡量进度的主要指标。
准则8：Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
敏捷过程提倡可持续的开发。项目方、开发人员和用户应该能够保持恒久稳定的进展速度。
准则9：Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
对技术的精益求精以及对设计的不断完善将提升敏捷性。
准则10：Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.
要做到简洁，即尽最大可能减少不必要的工作。这是一门艺术。
准则11：The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
最佳的架构、需求和设计出自于自组织的团队。
准则12：At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
团队要定期反省如何能够做到更有效，并相应地调整团队的行为。