The "Almost Done" Increment
What is it?
At the end of the Sprint, many tasks or user stories are almost finished but do not fully meet the Definition of Done (DoD), resulting in an Increment that is not truly "potentially shippable".
Common symptoms (how does it manifest?)
- At the end of the Sprint, many tasks are "90% complete" but do not meet the DoD.
- The delivered Increment is not potentially shippable.
- Pending work (testing, documentation) accumulates for future Sprints.
- Frequent discussions about whether something is "done" or not.
Impact and consequences (why is it a problem?)
- Lack of transparency about real progress.
- Accumulation of hidden work and debt (not just technical).
- Delivery of unreliable or incomplete Increments.
- Difficulty obtaining real feedback in the Sprint Review.
Frequent root causes (why does it happen?)
- Non-existent, ambiguous, or ignored Definition of Done (DoD).
- Pressure to start new tasks instead of finishing started ones.
- Overly optimistic estimates or poor WIP (Work In Progress) management.
- Functional silos that hinder completing the full cycle (e.g., QA at the end).