Start with the problem, not a feature list
A large backlog does not prove that a product addresses a meaningful need. Before estimating effort, define who experiences the problem, what they do today and the intended business outcome.
Minimum artifacts include a problem statement, user journey, business constraints and a testable value hypothesis.
A vertical slice covers the full workflow
A useful slice includes data, business rules, API, UI, authorization and the main failure paths. A polished screen by itself cannot validate an operational workflow.
Prefer one complete testable journey over numerous disconnected pages.
Definition of Done is not Production Ready
Review, lint, unit tests and a successful build provide code-level evidence. Production readiness also demands runtime validation, access control, migrations, monitoring, backups and rollback.
Separate Implemented/Unverified, Code Verified, Live Verified and Release Ready to avoid conflating milestones.
Three release questions
- Can intended users complete the primary workflow?
- Where can it fail, and how will failures be detected and recovered?
- What evidence supports the release decision?