ricadevo

Ricadevo is a term used to describe a flexible framework for software product development and organizational design that emphasizes rapid iteration, collaborative decision-making, and continual evolution of features in response to user feedback and market changes. Proponents view ricadevo as a synthesis of agile practices, design thinking, and open-ended experimentation, scaled to teams of varying sizes.

Originating in online discussions in the early 2020s, the word ricadevo appears to be a coined blend of "rapid" and "development" with the suffix "-evo" evoking evolution. There is no official standard definition, and the term is used primarily in informal contexts rather than scholarly or formal standards.

At its core, ricadevo emphasizes rapid prototyping, continuous delivery, modular architecture, and strong feedback loops with users and stakeholders. Governance tends toward lightweight, with decision-making distributed among cross-functional teams. Planning is adaptive rather than fixed, allowing projects to evolve as new information becomes available.

Practices commonly associated with ricadevo include design sprints, test-driven development, feature flags, and frequent demos. Teams typically organize around small, end-to-end slices of functionality, favoring open collaboration, transparent metrics, and iterative refinement of user needs.

It is applied in software products, digital platforms, and service-oriented initiatives, particularly in startups and innovation units within larger organizations. Reported benefits include faster time-to-market, better alignment with user needs, and greater resilience to changing requirements. Challenges include ensuring coherence across iterations, maintaining quality, and establishing clear governance.