Ready, or blocked?
A Definition of Ready can help teams start work with enough clarity. It can also quietly bring back waterfall. It isn't part of Scrum.
Helpful
A Light Guide
Clear value, draft acceptance criteria, small enough, dependencies known.
The danger
A Stage Gate
It grows into sign-offs and full designs. Stories bounce back. Waterfall returns.
Better
A Conversation
Use it in refinement to ask good questions, not to reject work at the door.
Source: Scrum.org / ScrumGuides.org: The 2020 Scrum Guide ↗
A guide for talking, not a gate for blocking.