Definition of Done

A milestone is not complete because the code runs on a local machine. It is complete when every item below is true.

Every milestone#

• Deployed to staging and reachable by the client
• Every deliverable named in the proposal is present and functional
• Works on mobile (375px) and desktop
• No console errors in normal use
• Forms validate and show useful error messages
• Loading and empty states exist — no blank screens while data fetches
• Typecheck and lint pass with zero errors
• Client has been shown a demo and has confirmed it matches expectation

Additionally, before final handover#

• Production deployment live on the client's domain
• All secrets in environment variables, none in the repository
• Database indexed on columns actually used in query filters
• Authentication tested including failure paths — wrong password, expired session, unauthorised route access
• Authorisation tested per role: each role can access only what it should
• Payment flows tested including failure and refund paths, where applicable
• Security headers set
• Rate limiting on public write endpoints
• Error monitoring configured and verified by triggering a test error
• Architecture documentation written
• Environment variable guide complete
• Repository transferred to client ownership
• Recorded codebase walkthrough delivered

What "done" explicitly does not require#

• Every feature the client thought of after signing. That is a change order.
• Perfect performance under load the client does not have.
• Features listed in the excluded scope.

The test#

Could the client hire another developer tomorrow and have them pick this up without contacting Orvenath? If not, it is not done.