Definition of Done
Lesson Video
Quick Win
Take 15 minutes to write five bullets defining “done” for the task that came back to you for revisions most recently. Just five lines. That is your first Definition of Done.
Lesson Content
Here is a question that might sting a little: how many times this week did someone on your team show you work that was not quite right? Not wrong — just not what you had in your head. You looked at it and thought, “Close, but…” and then you explained what was missing. Again. They nodded, went back, fixed it, and brought it back. And it still was not quite there. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone — and it is not because your team is not capable. It is because they are working with a target they cannot see.
The uncomfortable truth is this: when quality only lives in your head, your team has to keep guessing. Every time they pass work to you for review, they are playing a game of “is this what the founder wants?” — and they are at a disadvantage because the answer keeps shifting. Your mood, the client’s feedback, the phase of the moon. None of that is their fault. But it is your problem to solve. And the solution is simpler than you think: write down what “done” looks like.
People cannot meet a standard they cannot see. That is the core of this lesson. When you define “done” in clear, concrete terms — not “make it good” but “the headline is approved, the image is 1200x600, the CTA button links to the booking page” — you give your team a target they can actually hit. And here is the beautiful part: once they can see the target, they do not need to ask you if it is good enough. They already know.
For this lesson, you are going to choose one recurring task — the one that comes back to you most often for touch-ups — and define “done” in five clear bullets. Each bullet describes something that must be true before the work moves forward. Then you are going to translate your internal quality judgment into language so plain that someone new to your business could follow it. And finally, you are going to share that Definition of Done with one person and see what happens. One task. Five bullets. One conversation. That is all it takes to start making your quality standards visible — and usable — by everyone.
Brain Trust Guidance
Elgin’s note: “I know it feels like writing down the obvious. ‘Of course that is what done means.’ But here is what I have learned from watching hundreds of founders: what is obvious to you is invisible to everyone else. Your team wants to do good work. They want to meet your standards. They just need to know what those standards are. The 5-Bullet Done Standard is not about dumbing things down — it is about lifting everyone up to the same page. Give it a try with one task this week and watch how many ‘close, but…’ conversations disappear.”
Completion Standard
You have a written 5-bullet Definition of Done for one recurring task, a plain-language translation of your quality standard, and you have shared it with at least one team member or contractor.
Deliverables
Deliverable 1: Write Your 5-Bullet Done Standard
Purpose: Replace fuzzy quality expectations with clear, checkable criteria so your team knows exactly when work is finished.
Activity: 1. Choose one recurring task that comes back to you most often for revisions. 2. Write five bullets that each describe a condition that must be true before the work is complete. 3. Make each bullet specific and verifiable (e.g., “All links work” not “Looks good”). 4. Read your bullets aloud and ask: would someone new to this task know exactly what to check?
Output: A list of five clear, verifiable bullets defining what must be true for this task to be considered done.
Deliverable 2: Translate Your Quality Judgment
Purpose: Turn the unwritten “good enough” standard in your head into language your team can apply without you.
Activity: 1. Look at your 5 bullets and for each one, write what “good” looks like in plain language. 2. Replace subjective words (clean, polished, nice) with observable descriptions. 3. Add one example of what passes and one example of what does not. 4. Read it to someone not in your business — can they understand your standard?
Output: A plain-language translation of each done bullet with observable criteria and a pass/fail example for each.
Deliverable 3: Share Your Done Standard
Purpose: Move the standard from your notebook into your team’s hands so it becomes a working tool, not a personal reminder.
Activity: 1. Share your 5-Bullet Done Standard with one team member or contractor. 2. Ask them to use it on their next task. 3. Schedule a 10-minute follow-up to ask: was anything unclear? Did it save them from guessing? 4. Revise any bullet that was confusing. 5. Commit to sharing one more Done Standard next week.
Output: A shared document with your completed Done Standard and a brief note on what feedback you received and what you revised.
Reflection
1. Which recurring task in your business currently requires you to personally "fix" or tweak the final output because the team lacks a clear, written standard for what "good" looks like?
2. Think of the last time you gave feedback like "this isn't quite right" or "make it better"—what specific, measurable criteria were you failing to communicate to make that standard visible to the person doing the work?
3. How many hours did you spend last week reviewing or correcting work that would have been completed correctly the first time if you had provided a 5-bullet "Definition of Done"?
4. Which specific team member or contractor is most likely to fail a deliverable because they are guessing at your expectations, and what exact "Definition of Done"