Manuals / Agile & Scrum / Ch 6

B · PracticeIntermediate40 min read

6. User stories & acceptance

Agile & Scrum · 40 pages source format

Stories are promises of conversation, not mini-specs. “As a… I want… so that…” plus clear acceptance criteria beats a novel in the description.

What you'll learn

  • INVEST
  • Acceptance criteria
  • Splitting large work
  • Spikes

Write INVEST stories

Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable. If it fails Small or Testable, split or spike.

As a <user>
I want <capability>
So that <outcome>

Acceptance:
- Given … When … Then …
- Given … When … Then …

Do this now

Write 5 stories for your practice product. Mark each INVEST letter that fails.

Clear?

Split vertically

Prefer end-to-end thin slices over “frontend this sprint, backend next.”

Do this now

Take one epic-sized story and split it into 3 vertical slices.

Clear?

Checklist