How do you balance the scope, time, and resources of your project with your definition of done?

1 What is Definition of Done?

Definition of Done is a set of criteria that a product or a feature must meet before it can be considered done and ready for release. It is a way of ensuring that the product meets the quality standards, the functional requirements, and the user expectations. DoD is not a fixed or universal rule, but rather a flexible and context-specific agreement among the product team, the stakeholders, and the customers. It can vary depending on the type, size, and complexity of the product, as well as the development methodology, the tools, and the practices used.

2 Why is Definition of Done important?

Having a clear and shared Definition of Done can bring many benefits to your product development process, such as aligning your team and stakeholders on the goals and expectations of the product. It can also help you plan and prioritize tasks and features, as well as measure and improve productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction. Additionally, having a Definition of Done can help you communicate and demonstrate progress and value to customers, and get their feedback and validation.

3 How to create a Definition of Done?

Creating a Definition of Done is a collaborative and iterative process that involves the whole product team, as well as the stakeholders and the customers. To begin, you should start with the vision and goals of the product, and identify the main features and functionalities that are essential for the product to deliver value and solve the problem. Additionally, you should define the quality standards and acceptance criteria that each feature and functionality must meet, such as performance, usability, security, and reliability. Furthermore, you should define the technical and operational requirements that each feature and functionality must meet, such as code quality, testing, documentation, and deployment. Additionally, you should define the verification and validation methods that will be used to check and confirm that each feature and functionality meets the DoD, such as reviews, demos, and user testing. Finally, you should document and communicate the DoD to the team, the stakeholders, and the customers, and make sure everyone understands and agrees on it. It is also important to review and update the DoD regularly, based on the feedback, the changes, and the learnings from the product development process.

4 How to refine a Definition of Done?

Refining a Definition of Done is an ongoing and adaptive process that requires monitoring and evaluating your product development process, and making adjustments and improvements as needed. To refine your DoD, collect and analyze data and metrics on product performance, quality, and customer satisfaction to identify gaps, issues, and opportunities for improvement. Additionally, solicit and incorporate feedback from your team, stakeholders, and customers to understand their needs, expectations, and pain points. Compare and benchmark your DoD with best practices and standards of your industry, domain, and competitors, and experiment and test different approaches and solutions to optimize your product development process. Finally, celebrate and reward your achievements and learnings, and share your insights and lessons learned with your team, stakeholders, and customers.

5 How to use a Definition of Done?

Using a Definition of Done is a practical and effective way of ensuring that your product development process is aligned, efficient, and customer-centric. It can be used as a checklist and a guide for your product backlog, sprint planning, task execution, and feature delivery, to ensure that each item meets the DoD before moving to the next stage. Additionally, it can be used as a communication and collaboration tool for your product team, stakeholders, and customers, to ensure that everyone is on the same page and has the same understanding and expectations of the product. Finally, it can be used as a feedback and learning tool for your product team, stakeholders, and customers, to collect and act on the feedback and learnings from each product iteration and release.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?