donecaused

Donecaused is a term used in philosophy of causation and in organizational analysis to describe a specific pattern of causal attribution in which a completed outcome is attributed more to the final act of finishing than to the preceding steps that led to it. In this usage, the 'done' moment is treated as the proximate cause of subsequent effects, even when those effects arise from a longer chain of actions.

Coined in online discussions around project work and software development in the early 2020s, the word blends 'done' and 'caused.' It is used descriptively rather than prescriptively, and has been discussed in methodological critiques of attribution, where researchers note its potential to obscure earlier influences.

In research and practice, recognizing donecaused patterns can help teams examine whether outcomes are being misattributed to the final task, potentially undervaluing planning, design, or early actions. Critics warn that overemphasizing the completed moment can distort accountability and learning from failure.

For example, a product team may claim that a feature's success was due to its polished finish, ignoring the earlier weeks of user research and iteration. Conversely, a late bug fix that prevents a failure could be seen as mitigating risk rather than addressing root causes.

See also causality, attribution theory, outcome bias.