On Tuesday, 26 May 2026, Sofia University’s historic Mirror Hall will host a public lecture by Dr Alistair Cockburn — one of the original signatories of the Agile Manifesto and a globally recognised voice in software development, agile practice, and team collaboration.
Titled “Heart of Agile in the Age of AI”, the event will explore how agile principles remain essential in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and rapidly evolving software tools.
A pioneer of agile thinking
Dr Alistair Cockburn is best known as the creator of the Heart of Agile framework, centered around four simple but powerful actions: collaborate, deliver, reflect, and improve. He is also the author of Writing Effective Use Cases, widely regarded as one of the foundational books on capturing user intent and designing software requirements effectively.
Over the past several decades, Cockburn has worked with organisations around the world, helping teams improve communication, delivery practices, and software craftsmanship. From early object-oriented methodologies and Extreme Programming (XP) to modern agile transformations, his work has consistently focused on practical outcomes over process jargon.
He is widely respected for cutting through “agile noise” with clear language, real-world experience, and actionable ideas teams can apply immediately.
Agile principles in the era of AI
The lecture will focus on how Heart of Agile serves as a practical compass at a time when AI tools are dramatically accelerating the speed of building, shipping, and iterating digital products.
As AI increases productivity, teams also face new challenges: more complexity, more communication overhead, and a greater need for effective collaboration and feedback loops. Cockburn’s talk will examine which practices remain timeless — and which human skills become even more valuable in AI-assisted environments.
Attendees can expect insights on:
- The four verbs of Heart of Agile and why they matter more than another slide deck of “values”;
- Breaking ambitious goals into small, demonstrable steps;
- How AI changes production speed while intensifying collaboration challenges;
- Lessons learned from agile, XP, and real organisations rather than textbook theory.
Who should attend
The event is aimed at:
- Software developers and architects;
- Engineering and product leaders;
- Startup founders;
- Students and researchers;
- Designers and digital product creators;
- anyone working in fast-moving, cross-functional teams.
Whether building apps, platforms, media products, or design-led digital experiences, Participants will gain practical ideas on balancing speed, quality, and teamwork in modern Product development.
Event details
Date: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
Time: 19:00
Venue: Mirror Hall, Sofia University
Address: 15 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia
Language: English
Format: Public lecture + Q&A
Registration
Participation is free with prior registration:
Registration Form
Organizers
The event is organised by: