Episode 9 – Defining “Done” in Release Management

In software development, “done” is one of the most deceptively simple words. It sounds final, definitive—but in practice, it’s anything but.

What does “done” mean for a developer? For QA? For business stakeholders? For security or support? Too often, these interpretations don’t align—and when that happens, release readiness becomes ambiguous, fragile, and risky.

In this episode of Game of Releases, we unpack what “done” should really mean in a release context—and how a shared, cross-functional definition transforms delivery outcomes.

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Why the Definition of “Done” Matters

When teams operate with inconsistent understandings of what “done” means, they open the door to missed dependencies, security gaps, rushed testing, or misaligned expectations.

A vague or inconsistent definition leads to:

• Incomplete handovers between teams

• Confusion around release readiness

• Fire drills late in the process

In Release Management, “done” should not be a moving target—it should be a shared commitment.

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Layers of “Done”: It’s Not Just Dev Complete

Let’s break down the tiers that should inform a robust definition of done:

• Development complete: Code is written, peer-reviewed, and merged. But that’s just the beginning.

• Tested and validated: Automated and manual tests have passed, and the feature behaves as expected across environments.

• Security and compliance reviewed: Security scans are complete, and compliance criteria are met.

• Documented and demo-ready: Release notes, user guides, or internal documentation are prepared and validated.

• Monitored and measurable: Dashboards or alerts are configured for post-release validation.

• Approved for release: Stakeholders (product, QA, operations) have signed off based on pre-agreed criteria.

Each team brings a piece of the puzzle. The goal is not just functional completion—but readiness for real-world use.

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Building a Shared Definition of Done

To avoid surprises and inconsistencies, teams need to co-create and agree on what “done” looks like at different stages of the release lifecycle.

Here’s how to make that actionable:

1. Define done per artifact

   • Stories should have acceptance criteria.

   • Epics should have business validation checkpoints.

   • Releases should have readiness gates (see below).

2. Use checklists or readiness scorecards

   • Not as bureaucracy, but as a shared visibility tool.

   • Track completion of key readiness areas: test status, documentation, approvals, deployment plans.

3. Revisit and evolve the definition

   • Periodically review: Are any criteria outdated, too vague, or too rigid?

   • Add lessons from postmortems or incidents to strengthen future definitions.

4. Train new team members

   • Make your “done” criteria part of onboarding—don’t rely on tribal knowledge.

   • Store and update them in an easily accessible, centralized location.

A clear definition of “done” creates accountability without blame. Everyone knows the expectations—and how to meet them.

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Release Readiness Gates

For Release Managers, a release-level definition of done becomes a checklist for go/no-go decisions. Typical gates include:

✅ All features meet agreed quality and security criteria

✅ No critical bugs in pre-production environments

✅ Dependencies are resolved (e.g., APIs, backend support)

✅ Release notes and rollback plans are in place

✅ Monitoring is configured and tested

✅ Stakeholders have signed off

These gates aren’t red tape—they’re the difference between hoping and knowing.

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From “Done” to “Deliverable”

It’s not uncommon for something to be technically complete but not operationally ready.

For example:

• A feature passes all tests, but support has no documentation

• Code is deployed, but user feedback mechanisms aren’t enabled

• A change is approved, but hasn’t been validated in a staging environment

By broadening the meaning of “done,” Release Managers ensure that delivery is more than a checkbox—it’s a reliable, repeatable, and resilient process.

“Done” is not about perfection—it’s about completeness across all dimensions that matter.

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Final Thoughts

A shared, strategic definition of “done” is one of the most underrated tools in Release Management. It eliminates ambiguity, builds trust, and enables smoother coordination across teams. When everyone aligns on what “done” truly means, the result is fewer surprises, better quality, and more predictable releases.

In the next episode, we’ll zoom out and simplify: Episode 10 – Release Management 101: A Beginner’s Guide will break down the fundamentals for anyone new to the field—or looking to reset their understanding of what great Release Management really entails.

Stay tuned!