In order to better understand Agile methodologies, it is necessary to have a clear background of what software engineering has suggested in the past regarding the methodologies for approaching software development and software management (Agresti, 1986; Buxton, 1976; Ghezzi, 1990; Naur, 1969). For these reasons, in this chapter, the so-called classical methodologies for project management are considered and commented on, together with the techniques, meta-models such as the spiral life cycle, and tools such as risk management and assessment. It is important to know the background of software engineering in order to understand if Agile methodologies will fit your needs. In this chapter, the waterfall life cycle and a couple of evolutionary life cycles (Gilb, 1988), such as prototyping and spiral life cycles (Boehm, 1988), will be analyzed.
