What is NOT a good Definition of Done (DoD)?

The correct answer is A. The Customer is satisfied with the User Experience. Option A is NOT a good Definition of Done because customer satisfaction is subjective and unverifiable - a team cannot objectively confirm that a customer "feels satisfied" before marking work done. The DoD must consist of criteria the team itself can check definitively…

Built-in Quality / Team Level

Question

Options

AThe Customer is satisfied with the User Experience.
BNonfunctional Requirements are met.
CCode is checked in and merged into main branch.
DNo must-fix defects exist.
EAll unit tests are passing.
FCoding standards have been followed.

How the community answered

(42 responses)

A
81% (34)
B
2% (1)
C
10% (4)
E
5% (2)
F
2% (1)

Explanation

Option A is NOT a good Definition of Done because customer satisfaction is subjective and unverifiable - a team cannot objectively confirm that a customer "feels satisfied" before marking work done. The DoD must consist of criteria the team itself can check definitively, without external judgment calls.

Options B through F are all valid DoD criteria because each is objective and measurable: NFRs can be tested against thresholds (B), a merge is a binary fact (C), defect counts are trackable (D), unit test results are pass/fail (E), and coding standards can be enforced via review or linting (F). None of them require reading a customer's mind.

Memory tip: Ask yourself, "Can the team verify this without asking anyone outside the team?" If the answer is no - as with customer satisfaction - it belongs in an acceptance criterion or product metric, not the Definition of Done.

Topics

#Definition of Done#built-in quality#acceptance criteria#team practices

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