What can the origins of Agile teach us about building better software teams in the age of AI?

In this episode of The Common Sense CTO Podcast, Matt Stephenson reconnects with John Nolan, co-founder of Connextra and one of the pioneers behind the user story format that many teams still use today: "As a..., I want..., so that...".

John takes us back to the early days of eXtreme Programming (XP), pair programming and product thinking, sharing how Connextra embraced Agile from the ground up, long before it became mainstream.

Together, Matt and John explore what it was really like to build software at the turn of the century, challenge established practices, and create environments designed specifically for collaboration, learning and rapid feedback.

They discuss:

• The origins of the Connextra user story template
• How Agile emerged from the XP movement
• Why most organisations adopted only the easy parts of Agile
• The power of pair programming, feedback loops and disciplined engineering practices
• Hiring for curiosity, adaptability and mindset rather than just technical skills
• Why great software development is fundamentally about conversation and design, not simply writing code
• Whether AI augments or threatens modern software engineering practices
• Why some of the ideas from twenty-five years ago may be more relevant today than ever before

For anyone who remembers the early Agile community, this is a fascinating trip down memory lane. For those leading engineering organisations today, it is also a timely reminder that while tools evolve, many of the principles behind effective software delivery remain remarkably enduring.

Whether you're a CTO, engineering leader, product professional or experienced developer, this conversation offers valuable insights into where our industry has come from, where it may be heading, and what we should take with us into the next chapter.