Monthly Archives: January 2025

From User Stories to the Product Backlog

After gathering user stories and epics, they are structured into the product backlog, forming a detailed “to-do list” for the development team. User stories are rephrased to sound more task-oriented.

• Example:
  • User Story: “As a user, I want to see the ingredient list for each pizza.”
  • Task: “Add ingredients box next to each menu item.”

These work items may also be referred to as Product Backlog Items (PBIs).

Product Backlog and Increments in Scrum

The Product Backlog is a comprehensive, ordered list of all tasks needed to build or enhance the product.
It serves as the foundation for the development team’s work, broken down into sprints.

An Increment is a completed, functional piece of the product that delivers value to users.
Each sprint produces one or more increments that are tested and ready for use in the real world.
Increments are like building blocks, adding functionality to the product step by step.

Early Value Delivery

Early Releases: Once a significant portion of the product (e.g., an epic or a group of functionalities) is complete, it can be released for users to start benefiting from it—even if the rest of the product is still in development.

This reduces the time to market—the time between the idea’s conception and its introduction to users.

Users can test and provide feedback on the most critical functionalities first, allowing for real-world adjustments before further features are developed.

Important functionalities are programmed and released first, enabling users to start working with the product early. Additional features are incrementally added and released, enhancing the product over time.

Epics and User Stories in Scrum

Epic

In Scrum, an epic is a large set of product requirements that can be broken down into smaller pieces. It represents a broad and complex functionality.

Example: The online payment functionality for an order is an epic.

 It can be formulated similarly to a user story, for example: “As a user, I want to pay online to avoid exchanging cash with the delivery person.”

User Stories

These are smaller, more specific parts of an epic. Each epic includes several related user stories.

Example: Paying with a credit card, PayPal, cash, or Bitcoin are user stories under the “Online Payment” epic.

Relationship Between Epics and User Stories

It’s hierarchical. User stories are grouped under an epic, or an epic is broken down into user stories.

• If a functionality can be completed within a single sprint, it’s a user story.
• If it requires multiple sprints, it’s an epic.

Organizations may adapt these definitions to suit their specific needs, so interpretations can vary.

Through user stories and epics, the project team defines the entire scope and requirements of the product.

What Are User Stories?

A user story is a short, one-sentence description of what a user wants to achieve with a system or product.

They provide a simple, user-focused way to define requirements that are easy for both users and technical teams to understand.

Format:

“As a user, I want to [do something] in order to [achieve a goal].“

The “in order to” part explains why the user needs this feature, offering valuable context for the development team.

Examples of User Stories (Pizza Website)

1. “As a user, I want to scroll through the menu in order to quickly see all the options I can choose from.”
2. “As a user, I want to see the ingredients of each pizza.”
3. “As a user, I want to pay for my order using Bitcoin.”

These stories:

• Help open communication between users and the technical team.
• Allow developers to understand the user’s perspective and reduce misunderstandings.
• Provide flexibility for developers to suggest better ways to achieve the same goal.

How Are User Stories Created?

• When: They’re typically gathered during initial project planning.
• Who Creates Them:
  • Future users or their representatives (e.g., during brainstorming workshops).
  • The Product Owner, who manages the product’s scope in Scrum.
  • Business Analyst
• How:
  • Often collected in workshop sessions using sticky notes (hence their iconic association).
  • Later documented in electronic format for organization and future reference.

Benefits of User Stories

Focus on the user’s needs: They prioritize what the user values most.

Encourage collaboration: Involve both users and developers in the process.

Reduce misunderstandings: Developers can better visualize user expectations and propose alternative solutions if necessary.

Of course, these are all theories—practice is often a different story. There are many challenges to face, starting with clients who often don’t know exactly what they want. This is why Agile is, above all, a mindset—a way of thinking and organizing projects. It’s about embracing uncertainty, fostering collaboration, and adapting to change in real time. Agile isn’t just a process; it’s a philosophy for navigating complexity.

The Three Pillars of Scrum

Transparency

Open communication is key in Scrum. Everyone—team members and stakeholders—needs to have the same understanding of the work and its current status.

The goal is to avoid surprises and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Inspection

Scrum encourages regular check-ins to make sure the work is progressing as expected.

By identifying any issues early, the team can address problems before they grow and potentially derail the project.

Adaptation

If something’s not working—whether it’s the product, the process, or the progress—it’s time to adapt.

Changes should happen quickly to ensure the project stays aligned with its goals.

Key Elements of Scrum

Artifacts
These are the tools that guide the team and define the scope of the work:

• Product Backlog: A list of everything that needs to be done to achieve the project goals. Think of it as the project’s to-do list.
• Sprint Backlog: A smaller, more focused list of tasks the team plans to tackle during a specific sprint.
• Increment: The finished, usable product that’s delivered at the end of a sprint.

The Scrum Team
The Scrum team works as one cohesive unit, with three main roles:

• Product Owner: Manages the backlog and ensures the team is working on what brings the most value to the customer.
• Development Team: A cross-functional group of professionals who build and deliver the product.
• Scrum Master: A facilitator who helps the team follow Scrum principles and remove any obstacles they might face.

There’s no hierarchy here—just collaboration. Teams are usually kept small (up to 10 people) to maintain efficiency and flexibility.

Scrum Events
These events keep the team organized and moving forward:

• The Sprint: The core of Scrum, a time-boxed period (usually 1-4 weeks) during which the team works on delivering a usable increment.
• Inside the Sprint:
  • Sprint Planning: A meeting where the team decides what they’ll accomplish during the sprint.
  • Daily Scrum: A quick, daily check-in (often called a stand-up) to ensure everyone is aligned.
  • Sprint Review: A meeting to showcase the completed work to stakeholders and gather feedback.
  • Sprint Retrospective: A session to reflect on what went well, what didn’t, and how the team can improve in the next sprint.

Scrum is all about being lean, transparent, and adaptable. It’s designed to help teams handle complex challenges by breaking work into manageable chunks, focusing on delivering value, and constantly improving.