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Artifact: 'Done' vs. 'Done-Done'

ex-39 · exercises co-21 · two states a Definition of Done must tell apart.

Definition of Done -- v2, split into two explicit states
 
"Done" (merged):
  - Every Example 38 checklist item checked.
  - PR merged to main.
 
"Done-done" (merged AND deployed AND monitored):
  - Everything in "Done", PLUS:
  - Deployed to production (not just merged to main).
  - The relevant dashboard/alert (e.g. redemption-error-rate) observed green for at least one
    full business day post-deploy.
  - Feature-flagged changes: flag flipped ON for the intended audience, not just merged disabled.

Verify: the two states are named explicitly and distinguished by concrete, checkable criteria (merged vs. deployed-and-observed-green-for-a-day) rather than left as one fuzzy "done" -- satisfying co-21's rule.

Key takeaway: "merged" and "shipped and working" are different facts, and a team that conflates them under one word "done" loses the ability to ask "wait, is this actually live and healthy yet?"

Why It Matters: Example 40's feature-flag pattern makes this distinction unavoidable in practice -- code can be "done" (merged, tests passing, flag off) for days before it is "done-done" (flag on, serving real traffic, dashboards confirmed healthy), and a status report that says "done" for both states misleads whoever is deciding whether the feature actually shipped.

Last updated July 17, 2026

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