What are User Stories?


Firstly, in the spirit of learning loops, I expect this week’s edition to evolve as I learn more about different approaches to user stories.

I’ve been using them in a specific, agile methodology within an organizational framework where Product and Business Analysts tend to create and maintain them. I’m curious how different teams, organizations or Product Managers use them.

In my organization alone, there are several different approaches.

So what are they?

User stories are an informal, general explanation of a software feature written from the perspective of the end user. Its purpose is to articulate how a software feature will provide value to the customer (Atlassian, 2022).

For a project, initiate or mandate, we usually have several epics. Then, within each epic, we then have user stories and sometimes sub-tasks beneath them. As we move from broad to narrow, we’re creating managebale, well-defined chunks of value. We make complexity easier to digest, and work easier to prioritize and build.

Why they’re fantastic

They ground the increment of value we’re building to a human being and their need, whether a customer, a tech lead or a product manager. They specify the who, what and why. They also narrow focus to a specific problem or use case, so that you or your team knows the problem or opportunity they’re solving for (to reach the right solution). 

They generate conversation, clarification and a shared understanding of the feature we’re trying to build, and the context in which we’re building it.

3 steps to create a User Story

  1. Creation - Anyone can create a User Story or ticket, however it tends to be Product in practice. It can start broad to kick of exploration and becomes clearer when refined. 
  2. Format – Format can vary by exploration, improvement or problem solving. But we generally want to set the who, what and why. We don’t call out the How so that design or engineering are empowered to solve accordingly.  
  3. Refinement – Here, we’ll look to flesh out more detail with other disciplines. Needs to be collaborative, needs an engaged team with SMEs. We’ll also discuss sizing of the story here too so that we get a first take on how big the ask is.

A scrappy example 


Title: <Follows naming structure>

Epic: <that this story ladders up to>

Story points: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13

Description:
  • As a Product Manager (who)
  • I want to install analytics on my website (what)
  • So that I get deep user insights at every touchpoint (why).

Acceptance Criteria:
  • Copy deck: <link to confluence>
  • Designs (with interaction notes): <link to Figma>
  • Given… When… Then… <We’re trying to set out what conditions need to be met to verify that the story is complete> 

Pre-Conditions (if required):