1. User Stories > Big and Small
Epic to Story
User Stories > Big and Small
Ernest Walker

2. Critical Thinking
The art of analyzing & evaluating thinking with a view to improving it using rigorous standards of excellence.
Raise questions clearly & precisely
Gather & assess information using abstract ideas
Interpret information for well-reasoned conclusions/solutions
Test against relevant criteria & standards
Call out assumptions, implications & consequences
Communicate effectively with others
Self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored & self-correcting.

3. Universal Intellectual Standards
Clarity
Accuracy
Precision
Relevance
Depth
Breadth
Logic
Significance
Fairness
Could you elaborate?
Could you give an example?
Could you illustrate what you mean?
Clarity
How do we check on that?
How could we find out if that is true?
How could we verify or test that?
Accuracy
Precision
Could you be more specific?
Could you give me more details?
Could you be more exact?
Relevance
How does that relate to the problem?
How does that bear on the question?
How does that help us with the issue?
Depth
What factors make this a difficult problem?
What are some of the complexities of this question?
What are some of the difficulties we need to deal with?

4. Universal Intellectual Standards
Clarity
Accuracy
Precision
Relevance
Depth
Breadth
Logic
Significance
Fairness
Breadth
Do we need to look at this from another perspective?
Do we need to consider another point of view?
Do we need to look at this in other ways?
Logic
Does all this make sense together?
Does your first paragraph fit with your last?
Does what you say follow from the evidence?
Significance
Is this the most important problem to consider?
Is this the central idea to focus on?
Which of these facts are most important?
Fairness
Do I have any vested interest in this issue?
Am I sympathetically representing the viewpoints of others?

5. The Big Picture Epics – high level requirements (big ‘User Stories’)
Features – themes/group of related User Stories
User Stories – simplest level of functionality
When all User Stories under the Features and all
Features under the Epic are completed, the high level
required function is delivered.

6. What is a User Story?
A simple, clear, brief statement of intent that describes
something a system needs to do for a user.
Smallest increment of functionality that can be delivered while providing value to the user
Written in business language
Represents a customer’s goal, not a system’s attribute
Detailed on a just-in-time basis, not at the outset of the project
A conversation starter

7. User Story Format Card Conversation Confirmation
3”x5” index card (or Excel, Rally)
Limit size to prevent info becoming specs
Conversation
Understood by every member of the team
Explain the what not the how (no tech details)
Confirmation
Contain Acceptance Criteria (a justification for when dev of story is complete)

8. User Story Card—Front Narrative = the Who (X), What (Y) & Why (Z)
As a……
customer
I want to…..
buy a book online
So that……
I don’t have to go to the bookstore
‘I do this’ and ‘this happens’
Notice this story is actually an Epic Story.

9. User Story Card—Back Given the bookstore has the book in stock
Acceptance Criteria = scenarios to confirm completion
Given (initial context), When (the event occurs), Then (outcomes)*
Given the bookstore has the book in stock
And the customer’s method of payment is valid
When the customer requests the book
And provides all info needed for the transaction
Then the book is shipped to the address provided
Remember: there can be multiple scenarios for each story’s acceptance criteria

10. What makes a good User Story
Independent
Can be developed, tested (scenarios) & potentially delivered on its own
Negotiable
Not a contract, but a placeholder for discussion
Valuable
Must provide value to user, customer, or stakeholder
Estimable
Must be small enough for rapid implementation, contains clear acceptance criteria
Small
Sized for a single Sprint
Testable
Acceptance criteria is verifiable by testers and/or business users
INVEST originated in an article by Bill Wake >

11. What makes a good User Story
The Product Owner defines the
Who
What
When
Where
Why
The Dev Team determines the
How

12. What makes good Acceptance Criteria?
Outline all functional tests/scenarios needed for the story
Include enough detail for scenario scripts to be written
Be present in all User Stories, and serve as documentation of requirement details
Include functional, non-functional/design, and performance criteria
Formatted in business terms so business contacts can confirm

13. Acceptance Criteria & Behavior Driven Development (BDD)
BDD combines test-driven development, domain driven design & object-oriented analysis and design
Business Readable & Domain Specific Language
Helps define business behavior & expected outcome
Typically from the end-user perspective (outside-in)
Does not define implementation details
Framework for communication & collaboration
Connects cause & effect to input > process > outcome
Learn more about how BDD came to be from Dan North

14. BDD/Gherkin Language Given—When—Then
Given—indicates preconditions/known state of system
When—the action to be performed by the user
Then—the expected outcome of ‘When’
And or But—added after either Given, When, Then to indicate a continuing action
Learn more about Gherkin language and Cucumber code

15. Epic Exercise #1—Presentations
As a……
speaker
I want to…..
present material
So that……
I can communicate my information

16. Epic Exercise #2—Sales As a…… sales representative I want to…..
track customer encounters
So that……
I can improve sales

17. Epic Exercise #3—Pricing
As a……
farmer
I want to…..
calculate cost of doing business
So that……
I can price my products for market

18. Thank You!