The Unspoken Truths Behind Agile: Why Testers Are Afraid to Speak

Let’s be real for a moment. For over 20 years, Agile has been treated like a miracle cure for every problem in software development. Too slow? Go Agile. Too expensive? Go Agile. Too rigid? Agile again.

We’ve all seen it, the sprints, the stand-ups, the sticky notes, the endless retros. Executives throwing around buzzwords like "fail fast," "MVP," and "iterate" like they invented the terms. Certifications exploded. Frameworks multiplied. And soon, Agile wasn’t just a method, it became a religion. And here’s the kicker, someone’s been making a lot of money off Agile. That’s why the moment you question it, the Agile “gatekeepers” rush in, the Scrum Masters, the coaches are ready to tell you that you just don’t understand Agile.

But here’s the reality: I do understand Agile. I’ve lived through it for over 20 years. And to those trying to silence my voice, you’ll have to try harder. I’m not here to follow the crowd, I’m here to speak the truth.

But here’s the part no one wants to talk about. Behind the buzzwords, the backlogs, and all the Agile ceremonies, something's been quietly changing. So let me say it for you. Most of us see it. But hardly anyone dares to say it out loud because doing so might cost you your job, your reputation, or get you labeled as "anti-Agile." Same thing we’re seeing in Russia, they call it a "special operation," not a war. Say the wrong word, and you’re in trouble. Everyone knows the truth, but no one dares say it out loud.

There are hidden agendas in Agile and they’re damaging the very fabric of quality software development.

1. Agile as a Cost-Cutting Tool (Shhh… don’t say it out loud. Speaking the truth about this might just cost you your job).

Let’s not kid ourselves. A lot of companies didn’t adopt Agile because they wanted to be more flexible. They did it because it gave them a perfect excuse to cut roles.

Test Leads? Gone. QA Managers? Too "Waterfall." Business Analysts? "Let the team figure it out."

Then came the classic line: "Developers should test their own code now."

It wasn’t about agility. It was about efficiency theater, saving money while pretending to innovate.

2. "Quality Is Everyone’s Job" = Accountability Is No One’s Job

Sounds legit, right? But when everyone owns quality, guess what? No one actually does.

QA used to have a seat at the table, a say in what goes live. Now? They’re looped in when the sprint's almost over, asked to "just test whatever we’ve got so far," and then blamed when bugs hit production. No structure. No ownership. Just chaos hiding behind a Kanban board.

3. Rushing to Release, Forgetting to Think

Let’s play a game. Ask any Agile team: What matters more, completing all story points or delivering a stable, well-tested product? You already know the answer. Velocity has become the god. And if you dare slow down the sprint to focus on regression coverage or performance testing? You’re the blocker. And you know what will happened with a blocker in most cases.

4. QA Is Losing Its Voice

Remember when testers asked the hard questions?

"Why does this requirement contradict the business rule?" "What’s the risk if this module fails?" "Who approved this logic?"

Now in many Agile setups, testers are afraid to ask anything because pushing back means you're “not aligned,” “not flexible,” or worst of all, “not Agile.”

5. Agile on Paper, Waterfall in Practice

A lot of what passes as Agile today is just Waterfall dressed up with stand-ups and Slack channels.

• Planning still happens upfront.

• Devs still toss the code over the fence.

• QA still gets it last minute.

• "Done" means "Dev is done." QA? Good luck.

But hey, if it’s in a Jira ticket and there's a burn-down chart, we’re doing Agile, right?

6. The Quiet Elimination of QA Leadership

Before Agile, QA leaders brought order, process, and accountability. They fought for metrics. They ensured quality wasn’t just a box to check. Agile came along and said, "Let’s flatten the structure." Translation? Let’s quietly remove the people who ask uncomfortable questions. Now testers are floating without direction, while developers push code straight to production and hope for the best.

7. “Self-Organizing Teams” as a Cover for Zero Support

The phrase "self-organizing" sounds empowering, but in many companies, it’s just a polite way of saying, "You’re on your own." No QA coaching, no test strategy and no leadership. Teams are left to figure it out alone. And when things fall apart? "Well, they were self-organizing…"

8. Metrics That Manipulate

Story points. Velocity. Burndown. What were once tools to help teams improve have turned into weapons to measure, push, and punish. Teams start gaming the system to survive. Split stories. Inflate points. Fake progress. Meanwhile, product quality quietly suffers and everyone stays quite.

9. Experimentation or Just Chaos?

Agile promotes experimentation. But what we often see is a free-for-all, where "let’s iterate" becomes an excuse to skip requirements, testing, and planning altogether. It’s not innovation. It’s guessing playing with a fire and praying to God for disasters not to take place.

So Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About This?

Because it's dangerous. Saying these things out loud makes you sound negative. Like you don’t "get Agile." Like you’re stuck in the past. And if you’re a tester, or even a team lead? You risk being sidelined, or worse replaced.

But reality is and smart and intelligent people see that: You’re not old-fashioned. You’re not anti-Agile. You're just not blind.

So what is our way forward? Agile isn’t the enemy. But the way it’s implemented, without structure, without accountability, without testing discipline is hurting the very products it claims to improve. That’s why we need frameworks like HIST (Human Intelligence Software Testing).

Not to go backward. But to move forward smarter with strategy, validation, and critical thinking at every step.

If you’ve felt the pressure, seen the chaos, or been the "blocker" for simply doing your job right, you’re not crazy. You’re just one of the last people who still cares about doing it right. You don’t have to speak up, I’ll do it for you. I worry for those who can’t, because I know speaking the truth today can get you in trouble. But I can and I will. I’m the CEO of my own company. I have no boss above me, no investors pulling strings, and no one telling me what I can or cannot say. That’s the freedom I have. And I’ll use it to speak the truth, even if it makes some people uncomfortable.

Thoughts?

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Catch up on HIST (Human Intelligence Software Testing) if you missed my earlier posts and follow me for honest, unbiased, no-nonsense insights about QA and the future of our craft.

Recommended Reading: Explore more about Human Intelligence Software Testing (HIST) discipline and how it's reshaping modern QA.

Why I created Human Intelligence Software Testing (HIST) and Why It Matters Now More Than Ever?

I Watched 76 QA Positions Disappear and It Made Me Question Everything

The Quiet Crisis in QA: Are We Forgetting the Human Factor?

The Slow Death of QA - A Problem We Helped Create

When Tools Stop Thinking, HIST Begins

7 Days of HIST: Support, Skepticism, and Why This Conversation Matters

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Don't Let ChatGPT Be Your Voice: Reclaiming Human Intelligence in QA

How Agile May Have Damaged the QA Discipline: A Wake-Up Call

Why One of Your Greatest Weapons as a Tester Will Always Be Human Intelligence

The Death of QA Leadership in Agile and How HIST Brings It Back

How HIST Fits Within Agile and Heals Broken Processes

Exploratory Testing vs. Investigative Testing: Is It Time to Evolve?

Beyond Shift-Left: Enter the Era of Human Intelligence Software Testing

27 Years Later: Why QA Still Fights the Same Battles