"Done" is a contract, not a feeling. What is on our list — tests, docs, telemetry, accessibility.
Category · Project Management
"Done" is a contract.
The Definition of Done is a shared, explicit list of the criteria that must be met before work counts as finished. It replaces the gut feeling of "works on mine" with a verifiable agreement within the team.
Without a DoD, "done" means something different to everyone — and that's exactly where the surprises just before release come from.
What's on our list.
Code reviewed and merged, automated tests green, documentation updated, telemetry and logging in place, accessibility checked, security requirements met. As an ISO 27001-certified operator, ours also includes: traceable, operable, monitorable — not just runnable.
Keeping it alive.
A DoD that's too long gets ignored; one that's never revised goes stale. It's a minimum standard, not a substitute for judgement. We adapt it per product context and review it in retrospectives — otherwise it becomes decoration.