Chapter 7. How Do We Know When We Are Done?

“Are you done yet?” This seemingly harmless question is asked countless times on almost every software project. The way we answer, however, is anything but innocuous. If you respond with a “yes,” you might be forced to take on additional work. If you say, “no,” you could be branded as someone who can’t get things done. If team members’ answers vary, you could lose your stakeholders’ trust.

Establishing an up-front, common understanding of “done” can save teams and businesses countless hours of process thrash, ambiguity, and hidden work. In this chapter, you learn what a definition of done is, how it adds value, and the value it communicates to stakeholders. You learn an exercise that helps you build ...

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