Product Increment

A Product Increment is a concrete outcome of work completed by the Scrum Team during a Sprint. It represents a step forward in the product's evolution and contributes directly to achieving the Product Goal.

According to the Scrum Guide, an Increment is created every time a Product Backlog Item is completed and meets the team's Definition of Done. This means multiple Increments may be created within a single Sprint. By the end of the Sprint, there must be at least one usable Increment---something that could be released, even if the Product Owner decides not to.

Each Increment:

• Adds value and builds on previous Increments
• Must be thoroughly tested and meet the Definition of Done
• Must be usable, even if it's not immediately released

The Sprint Review often focuses on inspecting the current Increment and adapting the Product Backlog accordingly. But the Increment itself can be created at any point during the Sprint, not just at the end.

In practice, the Increment ensures that Scrum Teams continuously deliver value, maintain a usable product, and are always ready to release if needed. It reflects one of Scrum's core ideas: working software is the primary measure of progress.