Blocker
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
A blocker is anything that completely stops you from doing your work — a broken build, a missing API, a review that's been pending for three days, or access you don't have. It's the 'I literally cannot continue' status. In standups, blockers get special attention because one person's blocker is the team's problem. The worst blockers are the silent ones that people don't mention until it's too late.
Real Talk
A blocker is an impediment that prevents progress on a task or story. In Agile, blockers are raised during daily standups and addressed with urgency. They can be technical (dependency not ready, environment down), organizational (waiting for approval, missing access), or external (third-party API issues). Scrum Masters or engineering managers are typically responsible for removing blockers.
When You'll Hear This
"I'm blocked on the API — the backend team hasn't deployed it yet." / "Raise blockers in standup immediately — don't sit on them."
Related Terms
Agile
Agile is a philosophy of building software in short cycles, learning from real feedback, and adapting quickly instead of following a massive upfront plan.
Dependency
A dependency is a package your project relies on to work. Your app depends on React to render UI, axios to make requests, and dotenv to read config.
Kanban
Kanban is a visual workflow system where tasks move through columns — To Do, In Progress, Done. Unlike Scrum with fixed sprints, Kanban is continuous flow.
Sprint
A sprint is a fixed time-box — usually 1-2 weeks — where a team commits to completing a specific set of tasks.
Standup
A standup is a short daily team meeting — meant to be done standing so it stays brief.