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Acceptance criteria define the conditions that a user story or feature must meet to be considered complete. They help developers, testers, and stakeholders align on expectations before development begins. Well-written acceptance criteria ensure clarity, reduce misunderstandings, and serve as a guide for testing and validation. They are often written in a structured format, such as Given-When-Then scenarios. Meeting all acceptance criteria is necessary for a task to be marked as “Done.”
The Agile Manifesto is the foundational document that defines Agile software development principles. It emphasizes individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan. Created in 2001 by 17 software development experts, it provides the core values that guide Agile teams. Agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban are built upon the principles outlined in the manifesto.
An Agile Release Train (ART) is a key concept in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) that organizes multiple Agile teams working toward a common goal. ARTs help align cross-functional teams, synchronize development cycles, and ensure frequent, value-driven product releases. Each train typically includes 50–125 people and follows a fixed schedule of iterations and planning events. ARTs are structured around delivering continuous value while maintaining alignment between teams, stakeholders, and business objectives.
An Agile Coach is a specialist who guides organizations, teams, and individuals in adopting Agile methodologies. Their role is to enhance Agile maturity, coach teams in Agile frameworks, and support leadership in fostering an Agile culture. Agile Coaches work across various industries, helping organizations scale Agile, implement best practices, and remove organizational barriers to agility. Unlike a Scrum Master, who focuses on a specific team, an Agile Coach works at a broader organizational level.
Backlog refinement is an ongoing process in which the development team reviews, updates, and prioritizes items in the Product Backlog. The goal is to ensure that backlog items are well-defined, estimated, and ready for implementation in future sprints. Refinement sessions typically involve breaking down large user stories, clarifying requirements, and reprioritizing tasks. This activity helps teams work efficiently and reduces last-minute planning issues before sprint planning meetings.
BDD is an Agile software development approach that extends Test-Driven Development (TDD) by focusing on business outcomes. It encourages collaboration between developers, testers, and business stakeholders to define clear acceptance criteria in a human-readable format. BDD often uses the Given-When-Then structure to describe expected behaviors. By aligning development with business needs, BDD helps reduce misunderstandings and improves software quality.
A burndown chart is a visual representation of the work remaining in a sprint or project over time. It helps teams track progress, predict completion dates, and identify bottlenecks. The X-axis represents time (e.g., sprint duration), while the Y-axis represents remaining work (story points or tasks). A steep decline indicates fast progress, whereas a flat or rising line may indicate obstacles or changing priorities.
CI/CD is a DevOps practice that enables frequent, automated software releases. Continuous Integration (CI) ensures that code changes are merged frequently into a shared repository and tested automatically. Continuous Deployment (CD)extends CI by automatically pushing successful builds into production environments. This approach reduces manual work, improves software quality, and accelerates time to market.
Cross-functional teams consist of members with diverse skill sets necessary to design, develop, test, and deliver software without dependencies on external teams. They typically include developers, testers, UX designers, and Product Owners, allowing for greater collaboration and efficiency. Agile frameworks like Scrum and SAFe encourage cross-functional teams to work autonomously while aligning with business goals.
The Daily Stand-Up is a short, 15-minute meeting where the Scrum Team synchronizes work and discusses progress. Team members answer three key questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Are there any blockers?The goal is to increase transparency, improve collaboration, and identify obstacles early. The stand-up keeps teams aligned and focused on sprint goals.
The Definition of Done (DoD) is a shared agreement on what it means for a user story or task to be considered complete. It ensures quality standards, alignment between teams, and consistency across sprints. A DoD often includes code reviews, automated testing, documentation updates, and stakeholder approvals. Without a clear DoD, incomplete or low-quality work may be mistakenly marked as done.
focuses on iterative development, while DevOps ensures automated testing, CI/CD, and infrastructure as code (IaC)to support rapid releases. By integrating DevOps with Agile, organizations achieve faster deployments, higher software quality, and more resilient systems.
An epic is a large user story that needs to be broken down into smaller, manageable stories. It represents a significant feature or initiative that spans multiple sprints. Epics help teams maintain a structured backlog while ensuring long-term goals align with business objectives. They are commonly used in Scaled Agile Frameworks (SAFe, LeSS, and Nexus).
Feature toggles (also called feature flags) allow teams to enable or disable new functionality without deploying new code. This technique helps test new features in production without affecting all users. It supports continuous delivery, A/B testing, and risk mitigation by controlling feature rollouts.
A Kanban board is a visual tool used in Agile development to manage workflow. It consists of columns (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done) that represent different stages of work. Teams use Kanban boards to visualize work, limit work in progress (WIP), and optimize flow efficiency.
An MVP is the simplest version of a product that delivers enough value to test with early users. It allows businesses to validate assumptions, gather feedback, and iterate quickly. Agile teams prioritize releasing an MVP to avoid wasting resources on features that users may not need.
OKRs are a goal-setting framework used to align teams and measure success. Objectives define what needs to be achieved, while Key Results measure how success is determined. OKRs are commonly used in Agile organizations to ensure transparency and accountability.
Backlog refinement is an ongoing process where the Product Owner and development team review, clarify, and prioritize backlog items. This ensures that work is well-defined before Sprint Planning. Refinement helps teams reduce uncertainty, estimate tasks accurately, and improve sprint predictability. Regular refinement sessions prevent rushed decision-making and allow teams to focus on execution.
These frameworks provide structured approaches to scaling Agile across large organizations.
• SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) – Aligns multiple teams using Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and strategic planning.
• LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum) – Extends Scrum principles to multi-team environments with minimal overhead.
• Nexus – A lightweight framework for scaling Scrum across multiple teams.
• Spotify Model – Focuses on team autonomy and self-organization through “Squads, Tribes, Chapters, and Guilds.”
Each framework offers different ways to coordinate Agile teams, improve alignment, and drive large-scale delivery.
Self-organizing teams have the autonomy to plan, execute, and improve their work without micromanagement. They decide how to complete tasks, optimize workflows, and remove inefficiencies collaboratively. This fosters ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement, leading to higher motivation and better outcomes. Agile frameworks encourage self-organization to maximize team effectiveness and innovation.
Servant leadership is a management style where leaders prioritize the needs of their teams, remove roadblocks, and foster an environment for growth. Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches embody this mindset, ensuring that teams have the support they need to succeed. Instead of commanding, they empower teams, promote collaboration, and nurture trust.
Sprint Planning is a meeting where the Scrum Team selects and plans the work for the next sprint. The team discusses the Sprint Goal, defines tasks, and estimates the effort required. The Product Owner presents the highest-priority backlog items, and the development team commits to what they can complete. A well-structured Sprint Planning session leads to better predictability and execution.
A Sprint Retrospective is a meeting held at the end of each sprint where the team reflects on what went well, what could be improved, and what actions to take in the next sprint. It fosters continuous improvement and team collaboration. Common techniques include the Start-Stop-Continue method or Glad-Sad-Mad exercises. By regularly analyzing performance, teams can enhance productivity, communication, and efficiency.
A Sprint Review is a stakeholder meeting at the end of a sprint where the team demonstrates completed work and gathers feedback. Unlike a retrospective (which is internal), the Sprint Review is focused on delivering value to the business. This meeting ensures transparency, alignment with customer expectations, and continuous adaptation based on real-world feedback.
Story Mapping is a visual technique used to structure and prioritize user stories based on customer journeys. It helps teams understand workflows, identify dependencies, and plan releases more effectively. By organizing stories horizontally (steps in a process) and vertically (priority levels), teams can create value-driven roadmaps that focus on delivering high-impact features first.
Timeboxing is the practice of setting fixed time limits for Agile events and tasks to enhance focus and efficiency. Meetings like Daily Stand-Ups (15 min), Sprint Planning (max 8 hours), and Retrospectives (1–2 hours) follow strict timeboxes to avoid unnecessary delays. Timeboxing ensures that teams stay focused, productive, and outcome-driven.