Intro to Project Management: Agile Project Management - User Stories, Format As a I want So that

What This Is

User Stories are a format for capturing requirements from stakeholders in a project. They are written in the format "As a [type of user], I want [specific goal] so that [reason for the goal]." This format helps ensure that requirements are clear, concise, and focused on the user's needs. For example, in a software development project, a user story might be "As a customer, I want to be able to view my order history so that I can track my purchases."

Key Terms & Formulas

• User Story: A requirement written in the format "As a [type of user], I want [specific goal] so that [reason for the goal]."
• Product Owner: The person responsible for prioritizing and managing the product backlog.
• Product Backlog: A list of user stories that are prioritized and managed by the product owner.
• Acceptance Criteria: The conditions that must be met for a user story to be considered complete.
• Estimation: The process of assigning a size or effort estimate to a user story.
• Velocity: A measure of the amount of work that a team can complete in a given time period.
• User Story Mapping: A visual representation of the user stories and their relationships to each other.
• Prioritization: The process of determining which user stories to work on first.
• Backlog Refinement: The process of reviewing and refining the product backlog to ensure it is up-to-date and accurate.
• Definition of Done: A clear definition of what it means for a user story to be complete.

Step-by-Step / Process Flow

1. Identify User Stories: Work with stakeholders to identify the user stories that are required for the project.
2. Prioritize User Stories: Use techniques such as MoSCoW prioritization or Kano model to prioritize the user stories.
3. Estimate User Stories: Use techniques such as story points or hours to estimate the size or effort required to complete each user story.
4. Create Acceptance Criteria: Define the conditions that must be met for each user story to be considered complete.
5. Refine the Product Backlog: Review and refine the product backlog to ensure it is up-to-date and accurate.
6. Develop and Test: Develop and test the user stories to ensure they meet the acceptance criteria.

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Failing to involve stakeholders in the user story identification process.
• Correction: Involve stakeholders in the user story identification process to ensure that the requirements are accurate and complete.
• Mistake: Not prioritizing user stories effectively.
• Correction: Use techniques such as MoSCoW prioritization or Kano model to prioritize user stories based on business value and customer needs.
• Mistake: Not estimating user stories accurately.
• Correction: Use techniques such as story points or hours to estimate the size or effort required to complete each user story.

Exam Tips

• Tip: Be able to explain the difference between user stories and use cases.
• Tip: Be able to describe the importance of acceptance criteria in ensuring that user stories are complete.
• Tip: Be able to explain the concept of velocity and how it is used to measure team performance.

Quick Practice Questions

1. If a user story has an estimate of 5 story points, and the team's velocity is 10 story points per sprint, how many sprints will it take to complete the user story? Answer: 1 sprint. Explanation: The user story can be completed in one sprint because the team's velocity is greater than the estimate.
2. What is the purpose of acceptance criteria in a user story? Answer: To define the conditions that must be met for the user story to be considered complete. Explanation: Acceptance criteria ensure that the user story is complete and meets the requirements.
3. If a user story has an estimate of 10 hours, and the team's velocity is 20 hours per sprint, how many sprints will it take to complete the user story? Answer: 1 sprint. Explanation: The user story can be completed in one sprint because the team's velocity is greater than the estimate.

Last-Minute Cram Sheet

• User Story: A requirement written in the format "As a [type of user], I want [specific goal] so that [reason for the goal]."
• Product Owner: The person responsible for prioritizing and managing the product backlog.
• Product Backlog: A list of user stories that are prioritized and managed by the product owner.
• Acceptance Criteria: The conditions that must be met for a user story to be considered complete.
• Estimation: The process of assigning a size or effort estimate to a user story.
• Velocity: A measure of the amount of work that a team can complete in a given time period.
• User Story Mapping: A visual representation of the user stories and their relationships to each other.
• Prioritization: The process of determining which user stories to work on first.
• Backlog Refinement: The process of reviewing and refining the product backlog to ensure it is up-to-date and accurate.
• Definition of Done: A clear definition of what it means for a user story to be complete.
• Definition of Done is not the same as acceptance criteria.
• Velocity is a measure of team performance, not a measure of individual performance.
• User Story Mapping is a visual representation of user stories, not a project management tool.