What is a Product Increment?

The Increment is the sum of all completed Product Backlog Items in a Sprint plus the accumulated value of all previous Sprints. Each Increment must: (1) Be usable — valuable to stakeholders even if the Product Owner doesn't release it; (2) Meet the Definition of Done — fully tested, integrated, and complete according to the team's quality standards; (3) Be additive — it adds to the existing product; (4) Work together with all previous Increments. Multiple Increments may be created during a Sprint. The 2020 Scrum Guide explicitly states that work cannot be considered part of the Increment unless it meets the DoD. The decision to release the Increment is the Product Owner's — the Increment's readiness shouldn't depend on PO permission. The Increment embodies the concept that Scrum's output is a potentially releasable product, not a project phase or report.