Community Contributors

In addition to the direct participation of the Methodologists and Fellows in developing SAFe content, there is an active community of SPCs and others who contribute to the IP that makes SAFe safe. One such forum is the Community Contributions section of this website. These contributors provide articles that interpret and extend SAFe based on their direct, personal, and specialized experiences. These articles are peer-reviewed, but the opinions expressed are those of the attributed authors.

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The Scaled Agile Framework has been proven to deliver substantial business benefits in a large number of software and systems enterprises. We admire these companies for the courage to innovate, and we are indebted to them for the feedback they have provided. Specifically, we’d like to thank the many companies in our Customer Stories, each of whom has adopted the Framework and many of whom have provided specific input to help it evolve.

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Additional Acknowledgements

The contributors to Agile Software Requirements

Initial concepts behind the Framework were first documented in Scaling Software Agility, but the Framework per se was first documented in Agile Software Requirements: Lean Requirements for Teams, Programs, and the Enterprise (ASR), so it’s appropriate to repeat and update the book acknowledgments here. Thanks to the ASR reviewers, Gabor Gunyho, Robert Bogetti, Sarah Edrie, and Brad Jackson. Don Reinertsen provided permission to use elements of Principles of Product Development Flow. Thanks to my Finnish collaborators Juha-Markus Aalto, Maarit Laanti, Santeri Kangas, Gabor Gunyho, and Kuan Eeik Tan. Alistair Cockburn, Don Widrig, Mauricio Zamora, Pete Behrens, Jennifer Fawcett, and Alexander Yakyma contributed directly to book content.

A special acknowledgment to the Agile thought leaders

Of course, SAFe stands on the shoulders of many who came before us, particularly the Agile thought leaders who created the industry movement. It starts with the signers of the Agile Manifesto and continues with those outspoken thought leaders who have helped move the industry toward the new paradigm. The following have contributed most directly to our understanding of Agile development: Kent Beck, Alistair Cockburn, Ron Jeffries, Mike Cohn, David Anderson, Jeff Sutherland, Craig Larman, Ken Schwaber, Scott Ambler, and Mary and Tom Poppendieck. Others are acknowledged in the bibliography below.

A special acknowledgment to the Lean leaders

We are also fortunate to stand on the shoulders of Lean thought leaders, including Don Reinertsen, Jeffrey Liker, Gene Kim, Mik Kersten, Jez Humble, Eli Goldratt, Eric Ries, Jeff Gothelf, Josh Seiden, Henrik Kniberg, Dr. Alan Ward, Jim Sutton, Michael Kennedy, Dantar Oosterwal, Steve Womack, and Daniel Jones.

And to Edwards Deming

Finally, where would we be without the seminal works of W. Edwards Deming, to whom we perhaps owe the deepest gratitude of all? He was a visionary, whose tireless quest for the truth and unwavering belief in continual improvement led to a set of transformational theories and teachings that changed the way we think about quality, management, and leadership. The impact of his revolutionary ideas has been compared to those of Copernicus, Darwin, and Freud. Others have referred to him as the father of the third phase of the Industrial Revolution.

LEARN MORE about Edwards Deming at The Deming Institute.

Last Update: 19 May 2025