# The Four Values

Read the Agile Manifesto values as contextual trade-offs rather than absolute rules.

Duration: 9 min

The four value statements are comparisons, not commands to discard everything on the right. Agile teams still use processes, tools, documentation, contracts, and plans. They value people, working results, collaboration, and responsiveness more when the two sides compete.

The closing sentence matters: the items on the right still have value. The practical skill is noticing a trade-off and choosing the side that improves learning and delivery in the present context.

For example, a team can document a safety decision and still show a small usable result before committing to a larger design. The choice is not “documentation or learning”; it is whether the documentation is helping the next useful decision.

## fmap-m1-l2-v1

The native HTML explainer and equivalent written path teach the four values with synchronized narration, captions, chapters, and a readable transcript.

## fmap-m1-l2-digest

### Read the values as trade-offs

The Manifesto values individuals and interactions over processes and tools; working software over comprehensive documentation; customer collaboration over contract negotiation; and responding to change over following a plan.

The closing sentence prevents a common distortion: the items on the right still have value. A team needs tools, useful documentation, agreements, and plans. The values tell the team what to favor when the two sides conflict and which choice is more likely to preserve learning and useful delivery.

Outside software, treat “working software” as an analogy rather than a rewritten Manifesto. Ask what usable result would let the intended user respond with evidence—not merely what internal activity the team can report.

For example, a policy team may need a carefully reviewed draft and a consultation plan. It can still invite early feedback on a limited, safe portion rather than wait until every supporting document is complete. The appropriate balance depends on the risk, authority, and reversibility of the decision.

## fmap-m1-l2-r1

### Read the canonical Manifesto

The authoritative four value statements and closing sentence remain available at [agilemanifesto.org](https://agilemanifesto.org/). Read them at the source, then return to the matcher and notice that each statement preserves value on both sides while expressing a priority.

## fmap-m1-l2-i1

The same relationships and explanations are available in the preceding digest without interactive controls.