18 Years of Requirements Management ~ Laughs, Lessons, and the MaDnEsS of Change

In 2006, I took my first steps into the wild world of requirements management. Imagine a time when software development was as rigid as a military boot camp—everything planned to perfection, with no room for surprises. Waterfall ruled, and we documented every detail like we were writing the next great novel. Fast forward 18 years, and I've witnessed methodologies come and go like fashion trends, each claiming to be 'the ultimate solution.' Here’s my journey through the madness, filled with laughs, lessons, and a few well-earned gray hairs.

2006-2010: Waterfall – The Classic Foundation

“Back then, changing a requirement mid-project was as popular as suggesting pineapple on pizza—strong reactions all around. In Waterfall, everything was planned upfront, and making changes mid-project was about as easy as steering a cruise ship with a toothpick.”

Waterfall was the go-to approach for large, structured projects where everything was set in stone before anyone wrote a single line of code. It was disciplined, predictable, and as fun as watching paint dry—but hey, if you loved detailed planning and avoiding surprises, Waterfall was your soulmate. Teams embraced meticulous stages where each one had to be completed before moving on.

Waterfall Checklist:

🔹 Define requirements upfront: Surprises are for birthdays, not for software projects.

🔹 Plan each stage meticulously: Treat it like your life depends on it.

🔹 Detailed documentation: Imagine writing a novel—every detail matters.

⚠️ Avoid late changes: Waterfall doesn’t do “fast.”

⚠️ No flexibility allowed: Late changes are as frowned upon as wearing flip-flops to a board meeting.

Waterfall worked beautifully for projects with a set path, but try to inject some flexibility, and you’d be about as welcome as a root canal.

2010-2014: Rational Unified Process (RUP) – Structured Flexibility

“RUP was like Waterfall’s cousin who just got back from a yoga retreat—still structured, but with a little more 'go with the flow.'”

In 2010, we started seeing a push for something a little more adaptable, and RUP offered a structured yet flexible approach. With iterative phases, RUP allowed testing and refining along the way, so you didn’t end up with a fully “completed” project that nobody wanted. Sectors like finance and government, which loved structure but needed a dash of adaptability, found their match.

RUP Checklist:

🔹 Iterative phases: Test as you go—think “Measure twice, cut once.”

🔹 Customized processes: Tailor RUP based on project needs.

🔹 Balance structure with flexibility: A bit of wiggle room goes a long way.

⚠️ Complexity alert: Don’t get lost in the process—remember why you're here.

⚠️ Maintain focus: Flexibility is good, but don’t lose sight of your goals.

RUP brought a breath of fresh air, letting teams fine-tune within a structured framework. For instance, during a government project I worked on, RUP allowed us to iteratively refine requirements based on stakeholder feedback, preventing us from delivering a solution that would have been outdated by the time it was complete. It wasn’t the quickest, but it was reliable—like a friend who shows up to help you move (but might need a coffee break).

2014-2016: Agile & Scrum – The Flexible Revolution

“Agile introduced sprints—short bursts of productivity that were both exhilarating and exhausting. Picture running a series of 100-meter dashes, with your coach (Scrum Master) cheering you on daily—that’s Agile for you.”

As projects became more unpredictable, Agile emerged, bringing flexibility to the chaos. Agile was all about iterative development, adapting quickly to change, and getting rid of anything that didn’t add value. Scrum, with its daily stand-ups and sprint cycles, became the poster child for Agile. It spread like wildfire across tech, retail, and anyone who loved post-it notes.

Agile & Scrum Checklist:

🔹 Daily stand-ups: Get everyone on the same page.

🔹 Sprint cycles: Fast, focused work in short bursts.

🔹 Adapt quickly: Be ready to pivot as soon as feedback comes in.

⚠️ Avoid overloading sprints: This isn’t a marathon.

⚠️ Scope creep alert: Agile can be like a kid with a sweet tooth—don’t let it get carried away.

Agile turned projects into marathons of mini-sprints, letting teams stay on their toes and respond to new ideas. By the end of each sprint, you either had something valuable or a long list of what not to do again.

2016-2018: Lean – Cutting the Fat

“Lean taught us that less is more... as long as we’re not talking about coffee breaks. Those are sacred.”

Lean came in like a breath of fresh air with its focus on maximizing value while eliminating waste. Lean’s principles were perfect for tight budgets and even tighter deadlines. The MVP (Minimum Viable Product) concept made teams focus only on essentials, meaning you spent less time on features nobody asked for. Industries like healthcare and tech snapped up Lean like hotcakes.

Lean Checklist:

🔹 Prioritize MVPs: Trim down to what's essential.

🔹 Customer focus: Focus on what matters most to users.

🔹 Rapid feedback loops: Test, refine, repeat.

⚠️ Keep it simple: Lean loves simplicity—don’t overcomplicate.

⚠️ Validate always: Skipping validation is like skipping the taste test in cooking—you could end up with a disaster.

Lean was like decluttering your life: you only kept what was necessary, practical, and valuable. I remember working on a healthcare project where we used Lean principles to cut out unnecessary features and focus solely on the MVP. This approach not only reduced development time but also ensured we delivered exactly what the users needed, without the bloat. It wasn’t always easy, but it left projects lean, mean, and laser-focused.

2018-2020: Design Thinking – Embracing the Human Factor

“Design Thinking was like couples counseling for tech teams and their users: finally, a way to sit down and really understand each other, beyond the ‘just build it’ phase.”

By 2018, Design Thinking had teams shifting their focus from “What can we build?” to “What do people actually need?” For example, during a logistics project, we used Design Thinking to deeply understand the drivers' challenges. By prototyping and testing directly with them, we redesigned the interface to simplify their workflow, resulting in higher efficiency and user satisfaction. This approach involved empathy, ideation, and constant feedback to create solutions that felt tailor-made for users. Design Thinking became especially popular in industries prioritizing customer experience, like retail, logistics, and tech.

Design Thinking Checklist:

🔹 User needs first: Start by listening—no guessing games.

🔹 Room for creativity: Encourage wild ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.

🔹 Prototype & test: Build with real users in mind.

⚠️ Understand before acting: Don’t jump to solutions without grasping the problem.

⚠️ Creativity takes time: Avoid rushing—good ideas need time to breathe.”

Design Thinking transformed requirements gathering into a creative mission, with a heavy dose of empathy. It made projects less about “getting it done” and more about “getting it right.”

2020-2023: Hybrid Models and SAFe – Scaling Agile to Enterprise Level

“Hybrid models gave us Agile’s speed, Lean’s efficiency, and RUP's structure—basically a methodological smoothie that aimed to give us the best of all worlds.”

As companies scaled up, Agile on its own started to fall short. Enter SAFe and hybrid models, blending Agile, Lean, and even Waterfall to scale Agile across large organizations. SAFe was designed for the big leagues, offering a way for multiple teams to stay coordinated and apply Agile principles across entire companies. One challenge we faced was maintaining alignment between teams while preserving flexibility—SAFe helped by introducing program-level planning, ensuring that each team worked towards common objectives without losing agility.

Hybrid & SAFe Checklist:

🔹 Mix methodologies: Adapt to suit each project’s needs.

🔹 SAFe for alignment: Keep large teams moving in the same direction.

🔹 Cross-functional collaboration: Encourage teamwork across departments.

⚠️ Complexity caution: Don’t let hybrid models turn into a bureaucratic nightmare.

⚠️ Stay adaptable: Don’t get stuck in one approach—flexibility is key.

SAFe and hybrid models gave large organizations a way to scale Agile without losing sight of their goals. It was the best of all worlds…as long as you didn’t let it turn into a bureaucratic maze.

Looking Forward: 2024 and Beyond

Here’s what I see on the horizon for requirements management—and where we’re headed next.

2024-2027: AI, Adaptive Frameworks, and Predictive Requirements

“Requirements management is about to go high-tech—VR, AI, predictive analysis. Pretty soon, we might just have a crystal ball telling us what the user wants before they even know it. Tools like ChatGPT and Jira's AI-powered insights are already helping teams streamline requirements gathering, making it feel almost like magic.”

In 2024, requirements management is poised to blend AI tools with human insight, enabling teams to gather feedback, detect patterns, and make real-time adjustments faster than ever. This trend will evolve through 2027, incorporating adaptive frameworks that allow teams to switch between Agile, Lean, and even Waterfall-like structures within a single project. Each phase will use the approach best suited to its goals, creating a highly flexible yet stable project environment. By 2027, Predictive Requirements Management will become the new standard, with AI analyzing historical data, market trends, and user behaviors to anticipate needs before they’re voiced.

2024-2027 Checklist:

🔹 AI-powered insights: Use AI to gather and analyze feedback efficiently.

🔹 Adapt methodologies: Switch methods based on the project phase.

🔹 VR/AR tools: Enhance empathy and understanding through immersive tools.

⚠️ Human intuition matters: Don’t rely solely on AI—intuition is still essential.

⚠️ Keep frameworks simple: Complexity can be your enemy—keep things manageable.

From predictive requirements to adaptive frameworks, the future of requirements management promises to balance flexibility with structure, helping teams meet evolving needs with confidence and speed.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

“Requirements management is like cooking—a bit of this, a dash of that, and always respect the recipe. Sometimes you burn it, sometimes it’s perfect, but the fun is in the mix.”

After two decades, I’ve realized requirements management is a journey. Waterfall gave me structure, Agile taught me flexibility, Lean showed me simplicity, and Design Thinking added empathy. Today, I get to blend them all, picking the right tools for each challenge. Requirements management is a recipe with evolving ingredients, but the fundamentals—understanding, adapting, and a little humor—will always stay the same. The key takeaway? Be adaptable, embrace change, and always keep the user's needs at the forefront—because the best solutions come from understanding and evolving together.