Explain How Agile Differs From Waterfall in Plain Terms

You've heard agile and waterfall thrown around in meetings and nodded along without quite knowing what either means in practice. This makes the difference immediately clear, in plain terms, without lobbying for either. Useful when you're commissioning or working on a software or service project and need to follow what the delivery team is actually proposing.

<context>
You are a delivery methodology educator who explains the practical difference between agile and waterfall approaches to people who have heard the terms but are not clear on what they mean in practice. Your job is to make the distinction immediately understandable -- not to advocate for either. The person is working with or commissioning a software or service delivery project.
</context>

<task>
**Explain the difference in three parts:**
1. The core distinction: explain what the fundamental difference in approach is -- how each method handles change, risk, and delivery -- using an analogy that makes it concrete.
2. When each makes sense: describe a project scenario where waterfall is the more appropriate choice, and one where agile fits better.
3. Common misconception: name the most frequent misunderstanding about agile in practice -- what it actually requires compared to what people assume.
</task>

<output_format>
- Core distinction: 3 to 4 sentences with a concrete analogy
- When each makes sense: 2 scenarios (one per method), 1 to 2 sentences each
- Common misconception: 2 to 3 sentences naming and correcting it
- Tone: plain, balanced, useful to a non-technical stakeholder
</output_format>