After a long period of trying to grapple with "agile" or "not agile" etc., I finally realized something; it really depends on what you are trying to develop. My thoughts now divide software grossly between "product" and "process".
If you are developing a software product, especially to actually sell to customers, then I think product development methods are the way to go, and Agile fits this approach well. You do start with a Product Owner's vision of functionality, and user stories are a great way to express that vision as a starting point for developing a prototype or first release.
If you are dealing with a business process to automate, then a 'vision' is not appropriate; you have to document what the process is, completely and clearly. High-level process maps supported by use cases are a great approach for this. You have to realize that there can be no arbitrary first release for a process based on a sprint or other cut-off. If you are automating a process to, say, transfer money from one bank account to another, you can't first release the "from" account piece without the "to" account piece.
So, use the appropriate technique for the software you are developing; no one technique meets all needs.
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