The best measure of a valuable product Increment is the positive change it creates for its users and the business. This change is best described as an "outcome." An outcome focuses on the result and the value delivered (e.g., "users can find a product 20% faster"), rather than the output (e.g., "a new search bar was added"). A releasable Increment should be the smallest possible piece of work that achieves a specific, valuable outcome for the user. This approach ensures that each release delivers tangible value and allows for rapid feedback and learning, which is a core principle of Scrum.

B. Adds a new feature.

This is incorrect because it focuses on output (a feature) rather than outcome (the value the feature provides). A feature might not deliver any real value to the user.

C. Fixes at least one defect.

While fixing a critical defect can be valuable, it is not the sole definition of a valuable Increment. The primary goal is typically to deliver new or improved outcomes.

D. Delivers all "must do" Product Backlog items.

This contradicts the principle of delivering the "smallest" valuable Increment. Bundling all "must do" items can create a large batch, delaying the delivery of value and feedback.

1. Scrum.org

"The Evidence-Based Management Guide" (2020). This guide explicitly distinguishes between outputs and outcomes. It states

"Organizations need to focus more on outcomes

which are the changes in stakeholder behaviors that drive changes in value... Outcomes are the desirable results that customers and users experience by using the organization’s products or services." (p. 5

10). This supports focusing on delivering an outcome as the measure of value.

2. Schwaber

K.

& Sutherland

J. "The Scrum Guide" (November 2020). The guide defines an Increment as "a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal... In order to provide value

the Increment must be usable." (p. 10). While it doesn't use the word "outcome

" the emphasis on "usable value" aligns with achieving a desired result for the user

which is an outcome.

3. McGrath

R. G. (2010). "The End of Competitive Advantage: How to Keep Your Strategy Moving as Fast as Your Business." Harvard Business Review Press. While not a Scrum-specific text

this foundational business strategy work emphasizes the need for organizations to deliver continuous value through small

iterative experiments that produce measurable outcomes

a principle directly embodied in option A. (Chapter 4: "Innovation Proficiency").