The Perfect Definition of Done

In addition to whatever else it may have to offer, Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) has resting inside it an idea that is powerful in both its simplicity and its implications. That idea is the concept of the "perfect" Definition of Done.

In LeSS, the perfect Definition of Done is defined as: undone work is zero. That is, the team has done everything necessary to ship the product increment — no remaining testing, no documentation debt, no integration work left over. It is shippable in the fullest sense of the word.

Why does this matter? Because the gap between what a team calls "done" and what is truly shippable is where technical debt, risk, and organizational dysfunction hide. Closing that gap — working toward the perfect Definition of Done — is one of the most powerful things a team and organization can do to improve their agility, quality, and speed.