Why I'm Here...

Hello, My name is Jordan and I am a 25 year old Jr. Application Developer. I work for a company that has around 1000 employees, and 2 developers, along with one reporting analyst, who does mostly database work. This is the first job I've had in which I am professionally developing. One of the things I've noticed is that the method that we use to gather requirements, code the project, and communicate with end users usually ends with it taking longer than usual, buggy at the time of beta testing (which is a pain, as we don't have a testing department, so beta testing usually involves end users working both the new system and the old system), and then we take heat from above, until we can show on paper the benefits of our software. Most of the items we develop are web based applications, with one that uses WCF. I am currently researching Agile Development, specifically XP, and one of the recommendations of the book that I'm beginning with ("The Art of Agile Development by James Shore and Shane Warden.Copyright 2008 O’Reilly Media, Inc., 978-0-596-52767-9.") recommends having some contact with people who have mastered XP, so here I am. :D