The Definition of Done

[Markus Gaertner]

It just occured to me that the definition of Done might be rather simple by
combining some great ideas, which are fluctuating for some time now.

Done means Implemented, Tested and Explored
- Implemented means Red - Green - Refactor
- Tested means Discuss, Develop, Deliver
- Explored means Discover, Decide, Act

Read my blog entry for more on this: http://bit.ly/4EOkV

Kind regards
Markus Gärtner

[Steven Gordon-2]

While implementation and testing are clearly essential for getting software
functionality done, open-ended exploration threatens to put us in the
position of never getting anything really done despite hitting our intended
targets with high quality software.

So, I like to substitute focussed user story definitions for exploration.
In other words, if we deliver tested working software that fulfills a
narrowly scoped story, we are done with that story.  If that done story does
not fulfill the customer's more open-ended goals, then feedback on what was
delivered should help us to define the next narrowly scoped story that will
hopefully lead to fulfillment of the customer's goal, or at least bring us
closer.  In other words, exploration is about figuring out what the next
stories should be, not about changing the scope of the current stories.
Therefore, exploration has not role in 'done' for the current iteration,
only a role in defining the 'done' for stories for future iterations.

This allows the team to have a realistic definition of done each iteration,
while still allowing the customer to work towards a more business-oriented
definition of done via exploration and iterative feedback.

SteveG

On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 2:43 PM, Markus Gaertner <shino@...> wrote:

>
>
> It just occured to me that the definition of Done might be rather simple by
>
> combining some great ideas, which are fluctuating for some time now.
>
> Done means Implemented, Tested and Explored
> - Implemented means Red - Green - Refactor
> - Tested means Discuss, Develop, Deliver
> - Explored means Discover, Decide, Act
>
> Read my blog entry for more on this: http://bit.ly/4EOkV
>
> Kind regards
> Markus Gärtner
>  
>
>

[Carfield Yim-2]

Actually, what is the application of defining 'done'?

On 10/16/09, Markus Gaertner <shino@...> wrote:

> It just occured to me that the definition of Done might be rather simple by
> combining some great ideas, which are fluctuating for some time now.
>
> Done means Implemented, Tested and Explored
> - Implemented means Red - Green - Refactor
> - Tested means Discuss, Develop, Deliver
> - Explored means Discover, Decide, Act
>
> Read my blog entry for more on this: http://bit.ly/4EOkV
>
> Kind regards
> Markus Gärtner
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

[Markus Gaertner]

In one of the conversations I had at the conference, I came up with a picture
of Exploratory Testing when combined with the size/complexity dynamic from
Weinberg. I was going to write a longer blog entry on this in the next few days
and go into more details of how I think Exploratory Testing works and succeeds.

Kind regards
Markus Gärtner

Steven Gordon wrote:

> While implementation and testing are clearly essential for getting software
> functionality done, open-ended exploration threatens to put us in the
> position of never getting anything really done despite hitting our intended
> targets with high quality software.
>
> So, I like to substitute focussed user story definitions for exploration.
> In other words, if we deliver tested working software that fulfills a
> narrowly scoped story, we are done with that story.  If that done story does
> not fulfill the customer's more open-ended goals, then feedback on what was
> delivered should help us to define the next narrowly scoped story that will
> hopefully lead to fulfillment of the customer's goal, or at least bring us
> closer.  In other words, exploration is about figuring out what the next
> stories should be, not about changing the scope of the current stories.
> Therefore, exploration has not role in 'done' for the current iteration,
> only a role in defining the 'done' for stories for future iterations.
>
> This allows the team to have a realistic definition of done each iteration,
> while still allowing the customer to work towards a more business-oriented
> definition of done via exploration and iterative feedback.
>
> SteveG
>
> On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 2:43 PM, Markus Gaertner <shino@...> wrote:
>
>>
>> It just occured to me that the definition of Done might be rather simple by
>>
>> combining some great ideas, which are fluctuating for some time now.
>>
>> Done means Implemented, Tested and Explored
>> - Implemented means Red - Green - Refactor
>> - Tested means Discuss, Develop, Deliver
>> - Explored means Discover, Decide, Act
>>
>> Read my blog entry for more on this: http://bit.ly/4EOkV
>>
>> Kind regards
>> Markus Gärtner
>>  
>>
>>
>

[Matthew-103]

--- In agile-testing@..., Carfield Yim <carfield@...> wrote:
>
> Actually, what is the application of defining 'done'?
>

In my life experience, when the PM, devs, and testers had different definitions of done, the results, though tragic, were predictable. (And, occasionally, hilarious.)

--heusser

[Gilles Mantel]

Interesting article.

Should we add another line to def of done:
- Designed with Domain-Driven Design ?

Regards,
Gilles.


--- In agile-testing@..., Markus Gaertner <shino@...> wrote:

>
> It just occured to me that the definition of Done might be rather simple by
> combining some great ideas, which are fluctuating for some time now.
>
> Done means Implemented, Tested and Explored
> - Implemented means Red - Green - Refactor
> - Tested means Discuss, Develop, Deliver
> - Explored means Discover, Decide, Act
>
> Read my blog entry for more on this: http://bit.ly/4EOkV
>
> Kind regards
> Markus Gärtner
>

[Markus Gaertner]

I don't think it really matters how it was designed. This does not mean that I
don't love ubiquituous language and domain-driven design at all. I pretty much
believe that it works great. But teams seem to struggle with more basic ideas
than that. Why bother about how to do something, if we don't know where to get at?

Kind regards
Markus Gärtner

gmantel_valtech wrote:

> Interesting article.
>
> Should we add another line to def of done:
> - Designed with Domain-Driven Design ?
>
> Regards,
> Gilles.
>
>
> --- In agile-testing@..., Markus Gaertner <shino@...> wrote:
>> It just occured to me that the definition of Done might be rather simple by
>> combining some great ideas, which are fluctuating for some time now.
>>
>> Done means Implemented, Tested and Explored
>> - Implemented means Red - Green - Refactor
>> - Tested means Discuss, Develop, Deliver
>> - Explored means Discover, Decide, Act
>>
>> Read my blog entry for more on this: http://bit.ly/4EOkV
>>
>> Kind regards
>> Markus Gärtner
>>
>
>
>