Developers implement done, releasable Increments

The Developers of the product are part of a cross-functional team, the Scrum Team. This team does not work on specific layers, components or parts of the product’s functionalities, a scenario in which it would depend on other teams or other people to generate visible value for the end user. The Scrum Team’s members have all the knowledge and skills necessary to develop the end-to-end product.

External dependencies that are not under the control of the Developers would constitute a very high risk for the work being carried out during the Sprint. If it were necessary to wait for the work of external people or teams to be able to implement one or more items, the Developers might not be able to realize the Sprint Goal. A cross-functional team reduces these risks, as it is able to conduct all the work without, in principle, depending on anyone outside this group.

Thus, based on the order of items defined by the Product Owner, the Developers implement done functionalities in each development cycle that constitute one or more done Increments. Done, according to the Definition of Done, means that it can be released and used by the product’s users, which necessarily includes meeting the required quality. In this way, Developers make it possible to release the product to users, in each cycle as a minimum, even though the decision on when to release is up to the Product Owner.

In carrying out this work, there are no defined roles or accountabilities among the Developers. While it is natural and common for each individual to have primary skills, knowledge, interests or areas of focus, everyone is equally accountable for developing the product and realizing the agreed goals. We would therefore hope that they will direct their efforts to where they are most useful at any given moment, as far as is practical and possible.

The Developers fully dedicate their time to the work planned for the Sprint. Other activities beyond those that are necessary for the development of the product are to be avoided, as they divert the focus and threaten the results, and could frustrate the realization of the Sprint Goal.