Question 1

What is the Definition of Done?

Accepted Answer

A shared, agreed-upon checklist of quality criteria that any piece of work must satisfy to be considered complete. It applies to all the work a team produces.

Question 2

Where does the Definition of Done come from?

Accepted Answer

It's one of the commitments in Scrum, tied to the Increment. The official Scrum Guide defines it as the quality measures the Increment must meet.

Question 3

What's the difference between Definition of Done and acceptance criteria?

Accepted Answer

The Definition of Done is a team-wide quality bar for all work; acceptance criteria are specific conditions a single feature must meet to do the right thing.

Question 4

What should a Definition of Done include?

Accepted Answer

Typically code quality, testing, functionality across required platforms, documentation, deployment, and non-functional requirements like performance or security.

Question 5

Who writes the Definition of Done?

Accepted Answer

The whole Scrum Team agrees on it together, since it's a shared standard everyone is accountable to, unlike acceptance criteria which the Product Owner usually writes.

Question 6

Does every team have the same Definition of Done?

Accepted Answer

No. It's specific to the team, product, and domain. A fintech or medical team will have far stricter criteria than an early-stage startup.

Question 7

Can the Definition of Done change over time?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it should. As a team's maturity and tooling improve, criteria that were once aspirational become baseline expectations.

Question 8

What happens if work doesn't meet the Definition of Done?

Accepted Answer

It isn't considered complete or releasable, and it typically returns to the backlog rather than being counted as finished.

Question 9

Can a feature meet acceptance criteria but not the Definition of Done?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A feature can do the right thing (acceptance criteria) but still lack testing or documentation (Definition of Done), so it isn't truly done.

Question 10

What's the biggest mistake teams make with the DoD?

Accepted Answer

Either not having one at all, or declaring work "done" when it doesn't actually meet the standard, which erodes the value of the entire concept.

What Is Definition of Done in Product Development?

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Q1: What is the Definition of Done?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Definition of Done?

Where does the Definition of Done come from?

What's the difference between Definition of Done and acceptance criteria?

What should a Definition of Done include?

Who writes the Definition of Done?

Does every team have the same Definition of Done?

Can the Definition of Done change over time?

What happens if work doesn't meet the Definition of Done?

Can a feature meet acceptance criteria but not the Definition of Done?

What's the biggest mistake teams make with the DoD?

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What Is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?

What Is a Sprint and How Does It Work?

What Is Agile Product Management?

What Is Definition of Done in Product Development?

Learn better with active recall quiz

Q1: What is the Definition of Done?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Definition of Done?

Where does the Definition of Done come from?

What's the difference between Definition of Done and acceptance criteria?

What should a Definition of Done include?

Who writes the Definition of Done?

Does every team have the same Definition of Done?

Can the Definition of Done change over time?

What happens if work doesn't meet the Definition of Done?

Can a feature meet acceptance criteria but not the Definition of Done?

What's the biggest mistake teams make with the DoD?

Found this useful? You might enjoy this as well

What Is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?

What Is a Sprint and How Does It Work?

What Is Agile Product Management?