The Increment and the Definition of Done

An Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. To provide value, the Increment must be usable. Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. Their sum is presented at the Sprint Review, supporting empiricism — but an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders before the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value. Work cannot be considered part of an Increment unless it meets the Definition of Done.

The commitment for the Increment is the Definition of Done: a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born. The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone with a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of Done, it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review; instead, it returns to the Product Backlog for future consideration.

If the Definition of Done for an Increment is part of the standards of the organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum. If it is not an organizational standard, the Scrum Team must create a Definition of Done appropriate for the product. The Developers are required to conform to the Definition of Done. If there are multiple Scrum Teams working together on a product, they must mutually define and comply with the same Definition of Done.

Study focus: "almost done" does not exist. A team may make its Definition of Done stricter over time, but quality never drops to meet a date — undone work goes back to the Product Backlog.