Definition of Ready

A shared checklist of criteria that a user story must meet before the team accepts it into a sprint during sprint planning. Just as the Definition of Done defines what 'complete' means for finished work, the Definition of Ready defines what 'ready to start' means for incoming work. Typical criteria include: the story is written in user story format, acceptance criteria are defined and agreed upon, the story is estimated, dependencies are identified, and the design is approved if required. A story that does not meet the Definition of Ready is returned to the product owner for further refinement. This prevents teams from pulling vague, unrefined stories into sprints where they cause delays.