In Agile and Scrum, progress is not measured by documentation, effort, or hours spent. It is also measured by working software. The concept that captures this idea most clearly is the Product Increment. Every Sprint should result in a tangible, usable improvement to the product, not just partial work or internal changes.
A product increment in Scrum represents the sum of all completed Product Backlog Items during a Sprint, integrated with previous increments and meeting the team’s Definition of Done. It is the concrete output of Agile development and the foundation for frequent inspection, feedback, and adaptation.
In this blog, we’ll explore what a product increment is, how it differs from a Scrum increment, why it matters, how to create one step by step, common challenges teams face, and best practices for delivering high-quality increments. We’ll also include practical coding and DevOps examples to show how increments translate into real software.
What Is a Product Increment in Scrum?
A product increment is a potentially shippable version of the product created at the end of a Sprint. It includes all completed features, bug fixes, refactors, and improvements that meet the Definition of Done.
Key characteristics of a product increment:
- It is usable
- It is integrated with previous work
- It meets quality standards
- It delivers customer value
Importantly, an increment does not have to be released, but it must be ready to release at any time.
From a development perspective, this means code is written, tested, reviewed, merged, and deployable.
Example:
If your product is a task management app, a product increment might include:
- A new “Create Task” API
- UI support for task creation
- Database migration
- Automated tests
- Deployment pipeline updates
Scrum Increment Explained with Examples
Let’s look at a Sprint-level coding example.
Sprint Goal
Enable users to create and view tasks.
Increment Delivered
- REST API for tasks
- Database schema
- Frontend UI
- Tests
Backend (Node.js + Express)
app.post(‘/tasks’, async (req, res) =>
{
const task = await Task.create({
title: req.body.title,
status: ‘OPEN’
});
res.status(201).json(task);
});
Database Migration
CREATE TABLE tasks
(
id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
status VARCHAR(20)
);
Frontend
function TaskList({ tasks })
{
return (
<ul>
{tasks.map(t => <li key={t.id}>{t.title}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
Automated Test
test(‘creates a task’, async () =>
{
const response = await request(app)
.post(‘/tasks’)
.send({ title: ‘Learn Scrum’ });
expect(response.status).toBe(201);
});
Together, these changes form a single product increment fully functional, tested, and integrated.
Also Read:
How to Avoid Common Scrum Master Mistakes
Agile vs. Scrum
Scrum Master vs Project Manager
Difference Between Product Increment and Scrum Increment
The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle distinction in usage:
- Scrum Increment refers to the increment created within the Scrum framework, emphasizing Sprint cadence.
- Product Increment emphasizes value addition to the product, regardless of release timing.
In practice:
- Scrum Increment focuses on process
- Product Increment focuses on outcome
Both describe the same artifact, but from different perspectives.
Importance of Product Increment in Agile and Scrum Framework
Product increments are critical because they:
- Enable early feedback
- Reduce risk through incremental delivery
- Improve predictability
- Encourage engineering discipline
From a technical standpoint, increments force teams to:
- Integrate frequently
- Maintain test coverage
- Avoid long-lived feature branches
- Keep the product in a releasable state
This aligns strongly with Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) practices.
Example CI pipeline for validating an increment:
Yaml
steps:
– run: npm install
– run: npm test
– run: npm run build
No passing pipeline = no valid increment.
How to Create a Product Increment Step-by-Step
Step 1: Refine Product Backlog Items
Stories should be small, testable, and independently valuable.
Bad story:
“Implement user management”
Good story:
“As a user, I can reset my password via email”
Step 2: Define and Enforce Definition of Done
A strong Definition of Done may include:
- Code written and reviewed
- Unit and integration tests passing
- Security checks complete
- Deployed to staging
Example DoD checklist in code:
md
– [ ] Unit tests written
– [ ] API documented
– [ ] Lint checks passing
– [ ] Feature flag enabled
Step 3: Build Incrementally with Feature Flags
Feature flags allow incomplete features to exist safely.
js
if (featureFlags.enableNewCheckout)
{
renderNewCheckout();
}
This ensures the increment remains releasable.
Step 4: Integrate Continuously
Avoid long branches. Merge small changes frequently.
bash
git checkout main
git pull
git merge feature/task-api
Step 5: Validate the Increment in Sprint Review
Demonstrate working software, not slides or mockups.
Best Practices for Managing Scrum Increments Effectively
- Keep increments small but complete
- Automate testing aggressively
- Use CI/CD to validate every change
- Avoid partial stories
- Refactor continuously
- Measure increment quality, not velocity
Example quality metric:
bash
npm run coverage
Common Challenges in Delivering Product Increments
Incomplete Stories
Teams sometimes carry “90% done” work across Sprints. This violates Scrum principles.
Poor Test Coverage
Without tests, increments are fragile and risky.
Integration Hell
Late integration causes failures and delays.
Overcommitment
Trying to do too much leads to unfinished increments.
Key Takeaways for Building Effective Product Increments in Agile
A product increment must be usable and integrated
An increment should work end-to-end, not exist as isolated or partially completed components. If users or stakeholders can’t interact with it meaningfully, it doesn’t qualify as a true increment.
Code quality is non-negotiable
Poorly written or untested code increases technical debt and slows down future development. High-quality code ensures that each increment strengthens the product rather than weakening it.
CI/CD is essential for increment validation
Automated pipelines help verify that every increment meets quality and deployment standards. Without CI/CD, teams rely on manual checks, which increase risk and reduce reliability.
Small, frequent increments outperform large releases
Smaller increments allow faster feedback, quicker corrections, and reduced delivery risk. Large releases delay learning and often hide defects until they become expensive to fix.
Engineering practices directly impact Agile success
Agile ceremonies alone cannot compensate for weak engineering fundamentals. Strong practices like testing, refactoring, and continuous integration are what make Agile truly effective.
Conclusion
The product increment is the heartbeat of Scrum. It represents the intersection of Agile principles and real-world engineering execution. Without a high-quality increment, Sprint Reviews lose meaning, stakeholders lose trust, and teams lose momentum.
By focusing on clear backlog refinement, a strong Definition of Done, continuous integration, automated testing, and disciplined delivery, teams can consistently produce increments that are not only technically sound but genuinely valuable.
Whether you’re building APIs, frontend features, microservices, or enterprise platforms, mastering product increments ensures your Scrum implementation delivers what truly matters working software, every Sprint.
