User Story
A short description of a feature from the user's perspective.
Detailed Explanation
A user story is a short, simple description of a feature told from the perspective of the person who desires the capability. It follows the format: 'As a [role], I want [feature] so that [benefit].' This format keeps the focus on user value rather than technical implementation.
User stories are intentionally brief — they are placeholders for conversation, not detailed requirements documents. The details emerge through discussion between the team and Product Owner during backlog refinement and sprint planning. Acceptance criteria complement user stories by defining when the story is done.
Good user stories follow the INVEST criteria: Independent (can be developed separately), Negotiable (details can be discussed), Valuable (delivers user value), Estimable (team can estimate effort), Small (fits in a sprint), and Testable (can be verified).
Key Points
- Format: As a [role], I want [feature], so that [benefit]
- Placeholder for conversation, not detailed spec
- Complemented by acceptance criteria (definition of done for the story)
- INVEST criteria: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable
- Written by the Product Owner with team input
- Estimated in story points during refinement
Practical Example
User story: 'As a returning customer, I want to save my shipping address so that I can check out faster on future purchases.' Acceptance criteria: (1) Address saved after first purchase, (2) Saved address pre-filled at checkout, (3) User can edit or delete saved addresses, (4) Maximum 3 saved addresses. Estimated at 5 story points.
Tips for Learning and Applying
Focus on the 'so that' — if you cannot articulate the benefit, reconsider the story
Write acceptance criteria for every story before it enters a sprint
Split large stories (epics) into smaller stories that fit in a single sprint
Use the INVEST checklist to evaluate story quality
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