Do you realize Agile Scrum is just a framework!

For over 30 years, I've been engaged in software development and project management, leading numerous teams and guiding agile transformations for billion-dollar companies. It would be dishonest to claim these were true agile transformations. Unfortunately, the emphasis tends to be on making the IT department agile instead of the entire company. This often leads to significant investments in Agile Scrum and other methodologies, resulting in agile chaos, confusion, contention, and frequent leadership changes. The emphasis is placed on Agile methods rather than on understanding. My success in "agile transformation" has been due to what I refer to as the Why, What, and How framework for agile management. At that time, my QA department was my focus, and I would advocate that "Quality Starts with Why." Here's a high-level explanation of the framework, illustrated by the example of Apple pioneers:

Why – The Purpose

Start with the reason behind what you're building — your vision and beliefs.

As Kawasaki says, customers know what they want but not what they need. They won’t imagine revolutionary leaps — that’s your job. Innovation begins when you understand the deeper purpose — not just to build better products, but to change lives, challenge norms, and lead people into a better future.

“It’s not that Steve was always right, but sometimes you need to believe in something in order to see it.”

In Agile, this Why shows up as a focus on people over processes, empowerment over prescription, and transformation over transactions. If you lead with purpose, your teams are inspired to think bigger than backlogs and sprints.

What – The Vision Made Tangible

This is the product or outcome — what you’re actually delivering.

Apple didn’t just make a better Apple II — they made the Mac. That’s the “What” shaped by a bold “Why.” It wasn’t just a new computer; it was a new way to think about personal computing.

In Agile, the “What” could be a reimagined customer experience, a product that anticipates user needs before they’re voiced, or a system that gives teams meaning in their work.

How – The Method

These are the tools, processes, and frameworks — Scrum, Kanban, Less, and others.

They’re valuable only when guided by a clear “Why.” But when the “How” becomes the focus, innovation gets stuck on the current curve. Teams chase velocity, not value. People become interchangeable. Sprints become anxiety cycles.

Agile without purpose becomes mechanical. Agile with purpose becomes magical.

Final Message

"How" without "Why" leads to motion without meaning. But "Why" gives power to both the What and the How.

Purpose is what lifts you from iteration to innovation. That’s why Quality Starts with Why — because only with the right Why can you choose the right What and execute with the right How.