--- title: Definition of Ready (DoR) - Definition & Examples | RGM® Glossary url: https://realgrowthmatters.com/glossary/definition-of-ready-dor/ updated: 2026-06-10 source_html: https://realgrowthmatters.com/glossary/definition-of-ready-dor/ --- Growth Glossary — Definition SHT DEFINITION-OF- # Definition of Ready (DoR) Criteria for considering work ready to start. A working definition from the RGM marketing glossary. Criteria for considering work ready to start. Term : Definition of Ready (DoR) Field : Product Management Category : Growth & Lifecycle ## What the term covers Worth a slow read.Definition of Ready (DoR) is a lifecycle concept. Fix what it covers before the team debates tactics, and the rest of the conversation gets easier. Criteria for considering work ready to start. In product management, this concept guides how products are scoped, prioritized, built, measured, and iterated. It typically affects roadmap decisions, feature trade-offs, and definitions of success. Within Growth & Lifecycle, Definition of Ready (DoR) is a lifecycle concept. Get the definition right and the work that follows gets easier. ## How operators apply it Start here.Definition of Ready (DoR) is no fixed dial. How it behaves depends on your audience, your channel mix, and the strategy around it. Definition of Ready (DoR) behaves unlike a fixed rule. An early-stage brand and a mature one will apply Definition of Ready (DoR) on different terms. The mechanics follow the inputs around it. Treat Definition of Ready (DoR) as a buzzword and the reporting misleads; agree on it and the numbers hold. The working rule is plain. Agree what Definition of Ready (DoR) covers first, then act on it. Skip that order and Definition of Ready (DoR) loses its shared meaning, and two teams end up measuring two different things. Hold that thought. ## When to reach for it Keep this in mind.Definition of Ready (DoR) earns attention at three moments: setting budget, choosing a metric, comparing options. Away from those, it waits. Use Definition of Ready (DoR) when it changes an outcome. For growth & lifecycle teams, that tends to be three recurring moments. With no choice live, Definition of Ready (DoR) is good to know, not to chase. 1. **Setting budget.** Definition of Ready (DoR) points to where the next dollar should go. 2. **Choosing a metric.** Definition of Ready (DoR) separates a causal read from a coincidence. 3. **Comparing options.** Definition of Ready (DoR) stops a tidy-looking comparison from misleading. ## A worked example Hold that thought.To make Definition of Ready (DoR) concrete, the case below uses Duolingo and figures from public reporting plus RGM analysis. Consider Duolingo. Running a streak-driven retention loop, the team put Definition of Ready (DoR) at the center of the call. With a clean baseline and one fixed definition of Definition of Ready (DoR), they read what moved: D30 retention improved 14 points. The discipline is the lesson. Example walk-through for Definition of Ready (DoR) -- figures illustrative, RGM analysis | Stage | The step taken | The reason | | Baseline | Took a before reading on Definition of Ready (DoR). | Something concrete to compare to. | | Define | Agreed a single definition of Definition of Ready (DoR). | No room for scope drift. | | Act | A streak-driven retention loop — one variable. | Only one thing moved. | | Result | D30 retention improved 14 points | A decision the data earned. | Figures for Definition of Ready (DoR) here are illustrative and marked RGM analysis. Copy the method, not the exact numbers. ## Failure modes to watch Pick one definition.Four failure modes recur with Definition of Ready (DoR). Name them and they are easy to design around. - **One blanket rule.** Applying Definition of Ready (DoR) the same way everywhere. Split it by audience, channel, and business model. - **No context.** Reporting Definition of Ready (DoR) with no baseline. A bare number cannot be judged. - **Chasing the word.** Optimizing Definition of Ready (DoR) for its own sake. Check it tracks a real outcome. - **Apples to oranges.** Comparing Definition of Ready (DoR) across firms raw. Adjust for pricing and cycle before you read it. ## Frequently asked questions How is Definition of Ready (DoR) defined? Criteria for considering work ready to start. Settle what Definition of Ready (DoR) covers first; the strategy follows from there. Why does Definition of Ready (DoR) matter for marketers? Definition of Ready (DoR) matters because vague vocabulary breaks strategy. A precise, shared definition keeps a team aligned. Where does Definition of Ready (DoR) get used? Definition of Ready (DoR) informs a decision -- most often a budget, a metric choice, or a comparison. The Duolingo example above shows the pattern. What is the most common mistake with Definition of Ready (DoR)? Chasing Definition of Ready (DoR) as a goal and benchmarking it raw. Both bury the real trade-off underneath. How is Definition of Ready (DoR) defined? : Criteria for considering work ready to start. Settle what Definition of Ready (DoR) covers first; the strategy follows from there. Why does Definition of Ready (DoR) matter for marketers? : Definition of Ready (DoR) matters because vague vocabulary breaks strategy. A precise, shared definition keeps a team aligned. Where does Definition of Ready (DoR) get used? : Definition of Ready (DoR) informs a decision -- most often a budget, a metric choice, or a comparison. The Duolingo example above shows the pattern. ### Go deeper ### Related terms