1 Ch The problem with habits is that they are so ingrained into the brain that they are exceedingly First of all, agile marketing teaches us to scale experiments apt er one diffi cult to break. For example: homeowners cut their lawns in the same pattern every week. down to a manageable size. If we try out smaller things, They like the pattern…. It makes sense to them. It looks good to them. It feels good to them when they do not work out, we just move on quickly to M ark and week to week it’s ‘easier’ to do it the same way. Try convincing someone to switch that other small bets with little harm done. Agile teaches us how etin up! The same goes for habits: they wear a path in our brain which can be changed, but never to fail fast, learn from it and then readjust. It helps us adapt g in the moment actually disappears. Never underestimate the power of habit. in baby steps and reduces the threat of spectacular failures. It is less about incredibly expensive Big Bang marketing It gets worse. Our brain even fears change, because–long ago, when it started to develop– efforts, and more about divided little experiments. - 1.1 Adevery change in our environment could bring death. You were chilling in your cavern during apt the Pleistocene, maybe eating some mammoth meat, and everything was as it was. Great. I’ve failed over and over And then something changed: a cave lion, maybe. Not so great. That is why our brain is really 6 and over again in my life suspicious of change stimuli. This basic instinct is still wired in our synapses. and that is why I succeed Michael Jordan Sheltering Secondly, agile enables an organizational culture that does change. These psychological bar- not punish failure. You cannot decide to go agile, have your riers are why most of us keep people believe that innovation and experimentation beats doing what we are doing. doing safe things and then ‘punish’ them when they make And why we naturally hold a mistake. We would almost say “don’t bother trying agile 14 back from innovation. The marketing if you are not prepared to accept that mistakes agile methodology is smart, will be made”. In fact, there will probably be a lot of them. though. It knows that we are afraid, or at the very least extremely cautious, when it comes to trying new things and fearful This tolerance of failure is not an option. Companies with of making mistakes. So it creates a safe environment for trial and error. a severe mistake allergy will harvest an “If it ain’t broke,