a) Agile Manifesto Principles and Values b) Scrum Pillars, Roles, Artifacts c) Agile Planning and Execution d) Agile Project Management Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know is a complete yet compact and easily understandable guide for anyone wanting to learn the fundamentals of Agile. The Agile methodology can be greatly beneficial for many projects and organizations. But what exactly is Agile and is it always beneficial? Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know provides a primary understanding of the Agile development methodology, when it is appropriate to use it, and the commonly used Agile practices. By understanding Agile through this book, one will be able to adapt to the changing project requirements, complete projects and work faster, and optimize the workflow along with efficiently managing the various stages of a project. The reader will gain an understanding of the following from this book: a) An overall understanding of Agile, its methodologies and common practices b) An introduction to Scrum, a key Agile methodology c) The various aspects of Agile planning as well as execution d) The applicability of Agile in development and operations e) The concepts and practices in Agile tracking and reporting f) An overview of Agile leadership and team practices About the Series Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know is part of the Self-Learning Management Series that helps working professionals moving into management roles. This Self Learning Management Series intends to give a jump start to working professionals, whose job roles demand to have the knowledge imparted in a B-school but haven’t got a chance to visit one. This series is designed to address every aspect of business from HR to Finance to Marketing to Operations, be it any industry. Each book includes basic fundamentals, important concepts, standard and well-known principles as well as practical ways of application of the subject matter. The distinctiveness of the series lies in that all the relevant information is bundled in a compact form that is very easy to interpret. About the Author Kalpesh Ashar is a management consultant and corporate trainer. He holds an MBA from SPJIMR, an Engineering degree, and Agile certifications including CSM (Certified Scrum Master), PMI-ACP (PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner), and SFPC – Scrum Foundations Professional Certificate. Mr. Ashar has over 21 years of experience in large organizations and start-ups in Asia, USA, and Europe. His background provides a platform from which to write in a way to help people with diverse backgrounds understand business topics. About Vibrant Publishers Vibrant Publishers is focused on presenting the best texts for learning about technology and business as well as books for test preparation. Categories include programming, operating systems and other texts focused on IT. In addition, a series of books helps professionals in their own disciplines learn the business skills needed in their professional growth. Vibrant Publishers has a standardized test preparation series covering the GMAT, GRE and SAT, providing ample study and practice material in a simple and well organized format, helping students get closer to their dream universities.