The Producer way — Definition of Done
Being a Producer could mean a million different things. It could be a traffic cop, someone who makes cinematic masterpieces, or someone that is always asking the hard questions. While this person might be liked or not liked, the ultimate goal for their position is to determine the hard facts. Determine what the Definition of Done truly is.
A Producer is responsible for guiding a project to completion with getting from point A to point B. Point B being released, and shipping it out. The thing is they control the overall project, as it relates to what makes it in, and what makes it in later. Not everything that is worked on needs to be in version 1, and honestly it shouldn’t be.
The Definition of Done is what is the line drawn in the sand, it’s the requirements that makes the project complete. But more so, it shouldn’t be drawn in sand, it should be cemented and be a wall for everyone to see. It should be what you see when you walk in, or what you constantly review daily to make sure you are on track and have a clear picture of the overall project. No matter the scope of the project, it shouldn’t include things that won’t benefit the project from Day 1, you can always patch the game later, or add it as a future release, or even better, make it as a separate side project. Wait, why would I mention that? Sometimes there is an idea that might be the coolest thing that you have ever thought of, however there might be a chance that idea might not work well with this project. Instead of trying to force something into this, go ahead and delay it.
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The delaying of ideas is done more often than you think. Look at any sequels that have been released, they add something new to the experience. They add a new mode, a new thought, a completely different idea that changes the overall experience that couldn’t have made it into the first release. I’m not saying this should be done all the time, but if you are getting towards the end of a project, you shouldn’t be considering adding something that you haven’t planned for. Thus, why the Definition of done is important.
No matter if you are an individual or a team, there should be some thought on what complete means to you. How to get your project to a complete state. Other ideas will surely happen as you are working on plans, or knees deep in code or art or even design. But stay true to your vision, as if you don’t the word done will be something you won’t ever reach.
So if you are reading this, map out what you are trying to do. Focus on that, if it’s a list, great, if it is post-its, great. If it is something else, even better. But know what makes your project done. Because if you don’t have that clearly defined, you will never reach it.
I bring this up, as I was a producer for many years for my career. I saw first hand what would happen when teams would over shoot with their idea. The other side of this, related to milestones and timeframes. These ideas would come in, but they would push back deadlines that were already defined, so most of the time these wouldn’t make it in. So this would be added to the Definition of Done document as v2 or even as project b. Make your Definition of Done the guideline for any project that you make. Expand your thoughts, and come up with new ideas, but make sure you document it. Remember no one likes scope creep, or delays, especially if you have an audience waiting for your project.
