Agile Detroit

Detroit's most famous legacy is the moving assembly line—the innovation that revolutionized how the world makes things. But we didn't stop there. When Toyota refined those principles into what became Lean, it was Michigan scholars—Shook, Liker, Rother—who codified it for the world. The pattern repeats across every domain we touch: Hitsville USA ran Motown like a production line, applying assembly and quality control to the music business and manufacturing hit after hit. The Chrysler C3 project forged Extreme Programming, the practices that became foundational to modern Agile—and the first signature on the Agile Manifesto belonged to a developer on that Detroit project. The tradition is still alive here: Rich Sheridan built Joy, Inc. in Ann Arbor, and FAST founder Quinton Quartel is challenging Agile orthodoxy from right here in metro Detroit.

Detroit didn't just build the assembly line. We keep building the operating systems the rest of the world runs on.

Agile Detroit carries that legacy forward—a community focused on the professional development of Agile and Lean practitioners in southeast Michigan. We host monthly virtual events to share real-world experiences, new ideas, and emerging trends with guest speakers from across the industry—from original Agile Manifesto signatories to local practitioners doing the work every day.
Rooted in Detroit. Open to everyone.

Whether you're a seasoned coach, a team lead trying to make things work, or just curious about Agile and Lean thinking—you're welcome here.