What 'Done' Really Means

Have you ever asked your developer how close a feature is to being done, and they said "70%"... three weeks ago? You're not alone.

The biggest problem isn't that teams don't know how to build features. It's that everyone has a different idea of what "done" means. Your developer thinks it's done when the code works. Your tester thinks it's done when there are no bugs. You think it's done when customers can actually use it without calling for help.

Without a clear Definition of Done, you're playing an expensive game of telephone where everyone loses.

The $100K Mistake

Picture this: You hired an offshore team that claimed to follow Agile methods. Six months later, your product technically works but breaks every time someone uses it. Your engineering budget went almost entirely to bug fixes instead of new features.

This exact scenario cost one of our clients over $100,000 before they realized what was missing: a simple, clear Definition of Done.

Here's what each team member thinks "done" means:

• Your developer: Code compiles and basic features work
• Your QA tester: All test cases pass and they can't break it
• Your project manager: It's deployed and users can access it
• You: Users love it and it actually solves their problem

See the problem? Everyone's definition only covers their piece of the puzzle.

What a Real Definition of Done Looks Like

A proper Definition of Done touches every role on your team. Here's a simple version that actually works:

Technical Completion:

• Code is written and reviewed by engineering manager or peer
• All automated tests pass
• Security requirements are met

Quality Assurance:

• Test cases are written and executed (both positive and negative scenarios)
• No critical bugs exist
• User acceptance criteria are met

Business Validation:

• Feature solves the identified problem
• Acceptance criteria are satisfied
• Feature passes user acceptance testing

Deployment Ready:

• Code is deployed to staging environment
• Production deployment is planned
• Rollback procedures are defined

Notice something? This definition involves everyone on your team, not just the people writing code.

Mini Workbook: Create Your Definition of Done

Step 1: Define Your Core Problem

Before you can define "done," you need to be crystal clear about what problem your product solves.

Exercise: Complete this sentence:

"Our product helps _______ accomplish _______ by _______."

Example: "Our product helps busy parents accomplish meal planning by automatically generating grocery lists based on their family's preferences."

Step 2: List Your Team Roles

Write down everyone who touches your product development:

Technical Roles:

• Frontend Developer
• Backend Developer
• QA/Testing
• DevOps
• Other: ________________

Business Roles:

• Product Owner
• Project Manager
• UX/UI Designer
• Customer Success
• Other: ________________

Step 3: Identify Current "Done" Definitions

For each role, write how they currently define "done":

Developers think done means:

QA thinks done means:

You think done means:

Step 4: Create Your Basic DOD

Start simple with these categories and add 1-2 items for each:

Technical Completion:

• Code is written and reviewed

Quality Assurance:

• Test cases written and passed

Business Validation:

• Feature solves the identified problem

User Ready:

• Feature passes user acceptance testing

Step 5: Make It Specific

Take your basic items and make them measurable:

Instead of: "Feature works" Write: "User can complete the signup process without errors"

Instead of: "Code is tested"
Write: "Unit tests cover at least 80% of new code"

Your specific DOD items:

The Bottom Line

A Definition of Done isn't about being fancy or following the latest project management trend. It's about saving money and preventing the frustration of features that are "almost done" forever.

Start with 5-7 simple, clear criteria that everyone on your team understands. You can always add more later, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

The companies that get this right spend their engineering budget on new features instead of fixing broken ones. Which would you rather be?

Want the complete guide? Get the full Definition of Done workbook with detailed examples, templates, and step-by-step implementation at payhip.com/b/WMgnJ.

Coming Next Week:

Two-Week Sprints: The Magic Formula - Why this timeframe helps organizations measure real progress and how to set up sprints that actually work.

At Keiboarder, we help startups to Fortune 500 companies avoid costly software development mistakes with expert fractional CTO leadership, a clear roadmap, and a proven process to build and scale market-ready products. Get in touch with us, and let's build awesome things together! 🚀 Contact us