The Release

A Release is a set of functionality that is delivered in one or more Sprints and is usually put into "Production" in a Release Sprint. The first Release of a new system will contain at least the minimum set of features that the system’s users or customers will accept as a useful functioning whole. By definition, these features are those which provide the greatest business value to the users or customers of the system.

The Product Owner should aim to release software as often as possible. This philosophy concretely provides an earlier return on investment generates earlier feedback from real users (or customers) and minimises the possibility of business conditions and requirements changing before delivery.

A Release can be "Planned" up front to a target date or set of functionality, or it can be an opportunistically chosen event, based on the realisation that the aspects of the system built so far contain sufficient functionality at an appropriate level of quality to be put into production.