Agile Glossary: Every Developer Should Know These Terms
Stepping into the Agile world is like learning a new language. Here are the essential terms every developer needs to know.
A
Agile
An iterative development methodology that delivers value in short cycles with constant feedback.
Artifacts
Documents or information produced by Scrum: Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment.
B
Backlog
A prioritized list of everything that needs to be done on the product. Maintained by the Product Owner.
Burndown Chart
A graph showing how much work remains in the sprint over time.
Bugs
Defects or errors in the software. On Agile teams, bugs are prioritized alongside features.
C
Ceremonies
Scrum meetings: Sprint Planning, Daily Standup, Review, Retrospective.
Acceptance Criteria
Conditions a User Story must satisfy to be accepted by the Product Owner.
D
Daily Standup
A 15-minute daily meeting for team alignment.
Definition of Done (DoD)
A checklist of criteria every item must meet to be considered complete.
Definition of Ready (DoR)
A checklist of criteria an item must meet before it can enter an estimation session or a sprint.
E
Epic
A large product initiative that gets broken down into features and user stories.
Estimation
A forecast of the effort required to complete a task. Usually expressed in story points.
F
Feature
A product capability that delivers value to the user. Larger than a User Story, smaller than an Epic.
I
Increment
Working software delivered at the end of each sprint.
INVEST
A framework for writing good User Stories: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable.
K
Kanban
A continuous flow methodology with work-in-progress limits (WIP limits).
L
Lead Time
The total time from request to delivery of an item to the customer.
M
MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
The simplest version of a product that delivers enough value to test with real users.
P
Planning Poker
A consensus-based estimation technique where the team votes simultaneously with Fibonacci cards.
Product Backlog
A list of everything the product needs. Ordered by priority by the Product Owner.
Product Owner (PO)
The person responsible for defining what gets built and prioritizing the backlog.
Story Points
A unit of relative complexity measurement, based on the Fibonacci sequence.
R
Refinement
The process of detailing and estimating backlog items before Sprint Planning.
Retrospective
A meeting at the end of the sprint to discuss what went well, what could improve, and concrete action items.
S
Scrum
An Agile framework built around sprints, defined roles, and regular ceremonies.
Scrum Master
The Scrum team’s facilitator — ensures the process is followed and removes blockers.
Sprint
A fixed work cycle (usually 2 weeks) in which the team delivers a value increment.
Sprint Backlog
Items from the Product Backlog selected for the current sprint.
Sprint Planning
The meeting at the start of the sprint to define what will be delivered.
Sprint Review
A demo of what was built at the end of the sprint.
Stakeholder
Anyone with an interest in or affected by the product (customers, managers, users).
T
T-Shirt Sizing
An estimation technique using clothing sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL).
Timebox
A fixed maximum duration for an activity. Example: Daily Standup = 15 min.
U
User Story
A feature description from the user’s perspective: “As a [role], I want [action] so that [benefit].”
V
Velocity
The average number of story points a team delivers per sprint.
Velocity Chart
A graph showing the team’s velocity over multiple sprints.
W
WIP (Work In Progress)
Active, unfinished work. In Kanban, we limit WIP to improve flow.
Conclusion
This glossary covers the most common terms, but Agile is more practice than theory. The best way to internalize these concepts is by experiencing an Agile team in action. Use this guide as a reference whenever you come across an unfamiliar term.