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.