The Definition of Done: Killing the '99% Complete' Lie

Introduction: The "Done-ish" Problem

Ask a developer if the feature is ready. They say, "Yes, it's done." You check it. It crashes. "Oh, well, it's coded. I just haven't tested it yet."

Ask a writer if the blog post is ready. They say, "Yes, it's done." You check it. It has typos and no images. "Oh, well, the draft is done. I haven't proofread it."

This is the "Done-ish" Epidemic.

Ambiguity about what "Done" means is the primary cause of friction between teams. It leads to rework. It leads to missed deadlines. It leads to clients seeing broken products.

We accept 99% complete as acceptable, but that last 1% is where the quality lives.

At Acsendia, we are rigorous about the Definition of Done (DoD). We treat "Done" as a binary state. It is either perfect, or it is "Doing." There is no middle ground.

We built the tools to enforce this discipline.

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Part I: The Gatekeeper Checklist

You Shall Not Pass

In most tools, moving a card to "Done" is easy. You just drag it. It feels good. But it is unearned dopamine.

In Acsendia, you can configure Mandatory Checklists.

• The Gate: You cannot move the card to the "Done" column until every item in the "Quality Check" list is ticked.
• The Requirements:
  • Developer Card: "Unit tests passed? Code reviewed? Documentation updated?"
  • Content Card: "Spellcheck run? SEO keywords added? Image alt-tags set?"

If the boxes aren't checked, the card bounces back. The system refuses to accept mediocre work.

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Part II: Sub-Tasks vs. Checklists

Granularity Matters

People confuse sub-tasks (small jobs) with acceptance criteria (conditions of satisfaction).

Acsendia separates them.

• Sub-Tasks: "Write the Intro." "Write the Body." (This is the work).
• The DoD Checklist: "Is the tone friendly?" "Is the link valid?" (This is the standard).

By making the standard visible on the front of the card, the employee knows exactly what they are being graded on before they start the work. They aim for the target because they can see the target.

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Part III: The Review Bottleneck

Trust but Verify

In a high-trust team, you might let people self-certify. In a high-stakes environment (like code deployment or legal review), you need a Second Pair of Eyes.

Acsendia automates the Approval Handshake.

• The Handoff: When the worker thinks they are done, they move the card to "Ready for Review" (not Done).
• The Auto-Assign: Acsendia automatically assigns the card to the Manager or QA Lead.
• The Kickback: If the Manager finds an error, they don't just fix it. They move the card back to "Doing" and leave a comment. "Failed Criteria #3. Fix it."

This creates a culture of accountability. The worker learns to check their own work because they hate getting the card kicked back.

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Part IV: Client Acceptance

The Ultimate Definition

For agencies, "Done" isn't when you like it. It's when the Client signs off.

Acsendia integrates Client Sign-Off into the flow.

• The Guest View: The client can see the "For Approval" column.
• The Digital Signature: They click "Approve." This logs a timestamp.
• The Shield: If the client comes back two weeks later and says, "I don't like this color," you point to the log. "You marked this as Done on Tuesday at 4:00 PM. Changes now are billable."

The Definition of Done protects your profit margin.

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Part V: Standardization is Scale

The Franchise Model

If you want to scale your business, you cannot rely on hiring geniuses who "just know" what good looks like. You have to hire normal people and give them a system that forces them to be good.

The Definition of Done is that system.

• Onboarding: A new hire doesn't need to guess the quality standard. They just read the checklist.
• Consistency: Whether Mike or Sarah does the job, the output is identical because the DoD is identical.

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Conclusion: Zero Defects

Quality is not an accident. It is a habit. And habits are formed by constraints.

Don't rely on willpower. Rely on the checklist.

Make "Done" mean something.

Acsendia Standardize Excellence. https://acsendia.work