What a definition of ready is
A list of conditions, agreed by the team, that an item must meet before it's pulled into a sprint or into In Progress. If an item isn't ready, it stays in the backlog until someone gets it there, usually in backlog refinement.
It's not part of the Scrum Guide. It's a practice many teams add because the same problem keeps happening: work starts, and on day 2 someone discovers nobody knows what it should do.
An example checklist
A starting point. Keep the items that match problems your team actually has.
- The item has a clear title, and a user story if it's user-facing.
- It has acceptance criteria the team understands.
- It's small enough to finish in the sprint, ideally in a few days.
- The team has sized it.
- Anything it depends on is done, or will be in time.
- Designs, data or access it needs are available.
- The person who asked for it is available to answer questions.
Definition of ready vs definition of done
| Definition of ready | Definition of done | |
|---|---|---|
| Checked | Before work starts | Before work counts as finished |
| Answers | Do we understand it well enough to start? | Is it finished to our standard? |
| Part of Scrum | No, an optional team practice | Yes |
| Typical items | Acceptance criteria, sized, no blockers | Reviewed, tested, released |
Both apply to every item. A team can use one without the other, but the definition of done matters more.
Keep it from becoming a gate
The risk with a definition of ready is that it turns into a contract: work isn't started until every box is ticked, and every box takes a meeting. Some agile coaches avoid it for that reason. To keep it useful:
- Keep it short. 3 to 6 items. Each should prevent a problem you've had more than once.
- Treat it as a guide. The team can agree to start an item that misses one point, if they know what's missing.
- Get items ready together. Readiness is the team's job in refinement, not something one person hands over.
- Review it. At retrospectives, drop items that no longer prevent anything.
On a board
In craaft, readiness can live right on the cards:
- Write the definition of ready in the board brief, next to the definition of done, so people and agents read the same thing.
- Tag cards "ready" once they meet it, and filter by the tag in sprint planning.
- Or add a Ready column between Backlog and To Do, so ready work is visible at a glance.
- Use a checklist on the card for acceptance criteria, so "has acceptance criteria" can be seen without opening anything else.
Questions
What is a definition of ready?
A short checklist a backlog item must meet before a team starts it, such as having acceptance criteria, being sized, and having no unresolved blockers.
Is the definition of ready part of Scrum?
No. The Scrum Guide includes the definition of done but not a definition of ready. Many teams add one as their own practice.
What's the difference between definition of ready and definition of done?
The definition of ready says when an item can start. The definition of done says when it's finished. One is checked before the work, the other after.
Who decides the definition of ready?
The team that does the work, with the product owner, since they're the ones who'll feel it when an item starts without being understood.