What characterizes the Build Phase?

• A. Plan and document requirements
• B. Develop automated tests and QA strategy
• C. Build the application in rapid iterations where a subset of features goes through the full development cycle. Facilitate continuous collaboration between the development team and stakeholders.
• D. Deploy to production without testing

Answer: (C)

The Build Phase is about delivering software in rapid, repeatable cycles where a subset of features goes through the entire development process. Each iteration includes planning, design, implementation, testing, and integration, producing tangible increments you can review quickly. The emphasis on continuous collaboration with stakeholders ensures feedback guides the next set of features and helps keep the project aligned with goals.

This focus distinguishes it from simply planning requirements (which happens earlier and describes what to build), or from only setting up automated tests and QA (which is about testing practices rather than driving feature delivery in short cycles). Deploying to production without testing is not aligned with this approach, as it bypasses the iterative validation that builds confidence and adaptability.