There’s one more crucial characteristic: 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.
Earlier I explored the Increment through the lenses of it being “additive,” “valuable,” “useful,” and “usable.”
The Scrum Guide states:"These decisions (the Product Owner's) are visible in ..., and 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄.”
From Cambridge Dictionary: "Inspect: to look at something or someone carefully in order to discover information, especially about quality or condition.”
And from the Scrum Guide: “Artifacts and the progress toward agreed goals must be inspected frequently and diligently 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀.”
In short: If an Increment isn’t truly inspectable, how can we detect issues, learn, and adapt?
For an Increment to be inspectable, it must:
- Be Done – If it’s not Done it’s not inspectable; it’s just unfinished work in progress.
- Be Useful and Usable – If stakeholders can’t experience or interact with it, they can’t inspect it.
- Provide Transparency – An inspectable Increment makes reality undeniable.
An Increment that isn’t inspectable creates blind spots—teams and stakeholders end up making decisions based on assumptions rather than evidence.
The Sprint Review is where inspectability is put to the test. If an Increment isn’t Done or usable, this event turns into a theoretical discussion rather than an empirical inspection.
A transparent, inspectable Increment allows stakeholders to evaluate it against agreed goals—specifically the Product Goal. If this isn’t happening, there’s a fundamental transparency issue.
Some red flags:
- “We’ll release it after a few more sprints.” So, we’re making decisions blind until then?
- “Only developers can understand this Increment.” Then who is it for?
- “It works on my machine.” That’s already something…—how about on everyone’s machine?
These anti-patterns kill inspectability, making adaptation impossible.
How to ensure it is inspectable?
- Be strict on the Definition of Done. No exceptions, no shortcuts.
- Automate deployments so that the Increment is always accessible to users.
- Use real systems. No mock-ups, no slide decks—just a working solution.
Without an inspectable Increment, adaptation is based on speculation, not reality. If your organization struggles with agility, a lack of inspectability might be at the core.
So, be honest—how inspectable is your Increment?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
I hope you find value in these short articles and if you are looking for more clarifications, feel free to take contact.
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Wishing you an inspiring read and a wonderful journey.
Scrum on!
