← Back to Week 3 Hub

Waterfall vs Agile

Same project, two ways to build it. Watch both teams start — then change the requirements mid-way and see what happens.

The short version: Waterfall plans everything up front and ships once at the end. Agile ships working software in small cycles (sprints), getting feedback and adjusting along the way.
Waterfall
plan once, build once, ship once
1
Requirements — lock everything in
2
Design — blueprint the whole system
3
Development — build every feature
4
Testing — find bugs at the end
5
Ship — deliver to customer
(press Start)
Agile
plan → build → ship → repeat
Sprint 1MVP login
Sprint 2Product list
Sprint 3Shopping cart
Sprint 4Checkout
Sprint 5Polish & launch
(press Start)

Which one fits your team?

QuestionWaterfallAgile
When do stakeholders see working software?Only at the endAfter every sprint (every 2–3 weeks)
Requirements change mid-way — what now?Hard to adapt; may scrap workNext sprint's plan just includes the change
Feedback loopsOne big one at the endMany small ones, sprint after sprint
RiskHigh — you find out lateLower — problems surface fast
Best whenRequirements are truly fixed (rare)Requirements evolve (most projects)

Tip: press Start, then press Requirements change! mid-way through. Watch how each approach reacts — the waterfall team has a problem; the agile team adjusts next sprint.

← ArrayList vs HashMap Scrum Cycle →