How To Write User Stories That Deliver Real Business Value

User Stories Demystified and Distilled for the User Community and Technical Teams

If you feel overwhelmed trying to explain what you expect a proposed digital solution to deliver, this course is for you!

If you pretend to be invisible because an IT developer looks your way, this course will increase your confidence!

If you are a developer frustrated trying to understand what the business community really wants, this course gives you solutions!

If you are anxious about attending a User Story Workshop, you really should take this course!

By the way, if you are a Product Owner, Business Analyst, or Developer working with people to get their User Stories, you definitely need this course!

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About the Course

To deliver working software that the business community needs and wants, developers need to understand those needs. Fundamentally, what they really need to know for starters are:

1. Who needs something (the role)?
2. What do they need (to do or to know with potential qualifiers)?
3. Why do they need it (the business value)?

In recent years, the User Story has emerged as the most common tool for answering those critical questions simply, quickly, and efficiently.

Although, many recommend a “As a …, I want …, so that …” structure, the User Story is much too powerful to be limited by artificial constraints. Its strength is its potential for leveraging the software development process to achieve the competitive advantage that is business agility.

WHAT’S YOUR TAKEAWAY?

You will learn how to determine the best structure for your User Stories based on the needs of all audiences while ensuring delivery of business value to the author of each User Story.

You will understand the core components of a well-structured User Story and defend the purpose of each. In addition, I explain why defining business needs in User Story format is a significant factor in achieving effective communication between the business user community and developers.

To ensure that business community needs and wants are met, I will present techniques for capturing User Stories from the right mix of end users and other stakeholders. You can only get a reasonably complete set of User Stories by identifying Roles, Personas, and Stakeholders that your digital solution must support.

User Role Modeling, Stakeholder Identification, and Persona Development are three approaches that I have found most helpful in different situations. The role gives developers the power to clarify the intent behind the User Story which greatly increases the chances that the business community gets the solution it needs.

How to write a User Story is a simple, easy-to-learn skill. I will introduce and explain several ideas on how to make sure your User Stories are GREAT. Following the INVEST model will help make your User Stories Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable.

Those six criteria help you avoid a lot of problems, but each criterion can be challenging to achieve. For that reason, I introduce 3 methods that you can use to implement the INVEST model and add significant value to your User Stories.

As powerful as User Stories are, they are still susceptible to misunderstanding. You will learn 6 specific methods for identifying and removing the twin causes of miscommunication, namely ambiguity and subjectivity. In line with the Lean principle of waste reduction, you should wait until the last responsible moment to ensure that your User Stories are clear, concise, relevant, and at the right level of detail for developers.

The most important tool to reduce misunderstandings and avoid any ambiguity are Acceptance Criteria, aka Conditions of Satisfaction. They provide details of functionality that help the developers understand the User Story the way the originator intended.

You will learn how to use simple checklists, Business Rules, conditional statements, Functional Features, and Given-When-Then Statements to express Acceptance Criteria. These form the basis for the essential step of Acceptance Testing which is covered later in the course.

Lean and Agile do not change the need for sound analysis and decision making. What they change is the timing of those activities. You will learn what to do and when to do it given that the User Stories live and evolve throughout the process of delivering software that wows its users. You defend the need for Product Backlogs, Feasibility Analysis, and User Story Prioritization to ensure the evolution of the product delivers business value at every step of the way.

What the business community considers a simple request can be unbelievably complex for developers. Learn when and how to right-size your User Stories to ensure effective communication from start to finish. The meaning of the INVEST criteria require constant adjustment as the product evolves. You will learn 8 simple methods for splitting User Stories while ensuring the original intent is honored.

Finally, confirm that the delivered digital solution delivers what your organization needs to thrive. You will learn how to translate User Story Acceptance Criteria in any format to Acceptance Tests using Gherkin’s GIVEN-WHEN-THEN Scenarios. This revolutionary language facilitates manual testing and gives you the potential for using automated testing tools.

Users AND Agile Teams Both Need to Know How to Work with User Stories

Communication is a two-way street. User Stories are currently the best tool for communicating business needs, assuming they accurately express the business community’s perspective. Well-written, insightful User Stories are the foundation developers need to deliver digital solutions that support your business goals and objectives.

Both Sides (Users and Developers) Need a Common Understanding of the User Story Paradigm.

• As a user, it is your responsibility to express your needs in the format that developers understand and need.
• As a developer, you need to leverage the User Story paradigm to deliver digital solutions that will delight the business community.
• As a Product Owner or Business Analyst, you need to understand both perspectives to ensure that the Agile team delivers what the organization needs.

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Why Should You Buy This Course?

• Fully updated with tons of new content.
• Intellimated video lectures use visual representations to simplify complex concepts and associations.
• Quizzes and assignments give you an opportunity to test your understanding of the presented material, reinforce learning, and increase retention.
• Help from the authors to clarify open questions and provide additional information.
• Lifetime access to the course including future updates.
• 30-day Moneyback guarantee backed by Udemy if you are not completely satisfied with the learning experience.
• You will gain confidence in your ability to leverage the power of User Stories to minimize miscommunication that plagues IT initiatives.

About the Instructor

• Teaches 10 Udemy courses for Agile Business Analysis with over 50,000 students enrolled.
• Champions lean and agile methods to meet communication challenges between business and IT communities.
• Extensive YouTube Channel with 111 videos for 17K subscribers and 1.6M views.
• Authored 10 Business Analysis books covering tools and techniques for Agile and traditional software requirements.
• Consultant to a multitude of Fortune 500 companies and governmental agencies.
• Facilitated 100’s of User Story and Requirements Gathering Workshops for multi-million-dollar projects.
• 25+ years’ experience with instructor-led training for tens of thousands of students around the world.
• Coach and mentor for aspiring business analysts.

Intrigued but not convinced? Take a look at our FREE previews to make sure my instructor style and delivery work for you.

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Why Should You Enroll?

According to a recent survey, 69% of today’s top employers list effective communication as a required skill. User Stories are the primary mode of communication between the business and those who develop and deliver the digital solutions that are the soul of most organizations today.

You will benefit from this course if you:

• want to get digital solutions that meet your needs.
• want to make sure you understand what the business community is requesting.
• want to reduce the friction between developers and the business community.
• are invested in delivering digital solutions that provide business value.
• want to learn simple techniques that will serve you well when you are in the hot seat.

• Product Owners
• Product Team Members
• Product and Project Managers
• Business Analysts
• Requirements Engineers
• Business- and Customer-side Team Members
• Agile Team Members
• Subject Matter Experts (SME)
• Systems Analysts and Designers
• Developers
• Quality Assurance Specialists/Testing Team Members
• AND “anyone wearing the business analysis hat”, meaning anyone responsible for defining digital solutions for the future.

Upon completion of this course, you can:

• Seed and replenish a Product Backlog by writing User Stories that focus on the business value without dictating technical solutions.
• Reduce time to deliver software by giving developers well-formed, actionable User Stories answering the WHO, WHAT, and WHY of a business need.
• Identify User Story contributors using User Role Modeling, Persona Development, and Stakeholder Identification techniques.
• Minimize miscommunication and misunderstandings between the business and the developer communities by drilling-down User Stories at the RIGHT time and to the RIGHT level of detail.
• Save time and resources by leveraging Lean principles of waste reduction, last responsible moment, and built-in quality to your User Stories.
• Understand the power of the 3 C’s of a User Story – The Card, the Conversation, the Criteria (or Confirmation).
• Translate business needs into well-structured User Stories that follow the INVEST (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable) guidelines.
• Synchronize the vision of the business and the development team with clearly defined Acceptance Criteria that clarify the intent of the User Story.
• Learn 6 techniques to reduce ambiguity, save time in 3-Amigos Conversations, and allow your Agile Team to deliver solutions that delight end-users.
• Ensure that your User Stories are at the right level of detail for prioritization and splitting.
• Apply 8 ways to split User Stories, Epics, and Features in Preparation for Imminent Sprints or Releases.
• Develop business-focused acceptance tests that prove that the solution delivers desired and defined features and functions.

What Are User Stories and Why Do You Need Them?

• Users and Developers Need A Common Understanding of the User Story Definition
• Course Overview: What You Will Learn

An Introduction to the World of User Stories

• User Stories vs Requirements
• What Are the 3 C’s (Card, Conversation, and Confirmation) in User Stories?
• What Makes a Good User Story?
• Confirm Your Understanding of the Rationale Behind the User Story Paradigm
• The User Story Structure: Answers to Who, What, and Why
• The Role Tells WHO Needs the Story
• The Outcome or Action Explains WHAT the User Needs
• The Value Reveals WHY the Business Needs the Outcome
• Evaluate User Stories for Completeness
• In Defense of Other User Story Formats
• User Stories Are Not Just for End Users
• Identifying potential User Stories from a Vision Statement

How to Select the Right User Story Role, Persona, or Stakeholder

• Discovering WHO Writes User Stories
• Three Stakeholder Analysis Techniques to Identify User Story Roles
• User Role Modeling is a 3-Step Process
• Stakeholder Analysis Example 1: The Different Types of Users and How to Model Them
• Stakeholder Analysis Example 2: Refine and Describe User Roles
• What’s Up with Personas in User Story Context
• Stakeholder Identification Discovers User Roles for Internal Applications
• A Simple Stakeholder Analysis Technique for Discovering Internal Stakeholders
• The Importance of Roles in User Stories and 3 Ways of Finding Candidates

How to Write User Stories as a Product Owner, Domain Expert, or Stakeholder

• INVEST in Writing Good User Stories for Effective Communication
• INDEPENDENT User Stories Expedite Delivery of Working Software
• NEGOTIABLE User Stories Trigger Collaborative Conversations
• VALUABLE User Stories Optimize Resource Usage
• ESTIMABLE User Stories Are Easier to Size and Prioritize
• SMALL User Stories Deliver More Business Value Faster, Better, Cheaper
• TESTABLE User Stories Include Verifiable User Acceptance Criteria
• Assessing Your User Story INVEST-ability
• 3 Techniques for Writing Better User Stories with the Invest Model
• WHAT Not HOW! A User Story INVEST Example
• Good User Stories Are Within the Product Vision or Project Charter
• Minimize the Downstream Impact of Your User Stories
• Confirm that Your Initial User Stories Focus on Achievable Business Value

How to Write User Story Acceptance Criteria and Remove Uncertainty to Clarify Intent

• Reduce Ambiguity in Your Epics and Stories at the Last Responsible Moment
• Ambiguity and Subjectivity Feed Misunderstanding and Waste Time
• Tips to Prepare Features, Epics, and User Stories for Team Meetings
• Add Context to a Story to Create a Shared Understanding
• Resolving Ambiguity and Subjectivity in User Stories
• User Story Examples with Acceptance Criteria Reduce Misunderstandings
• How to Write Effective Acceptance Criteria for User Stories
• Discover Ambiguity and Subjectivity Early with Self-Reviews
• Peer Reviews Clarify the Most Challenging User Stories
• Selecting the Right Technique for Reducing Ambiguity and Subjectivity
• User Story Example: How Peer Reviews Improve User Stories
• Improve Your User Stories

A Prioritized Agile Backlog Makes Release and Iteration Planning Easier

• The Agile Lifecycle Is Incremental; User Stories Should Be Too!
• What Is a Backlog in Agile and How Does It Work?
• Product Backlog Prioritization Can Make or Break Your Project
• The MoSCoW Method: A Popular Prioritization Technique
• The KANO Model: Customer-driven Feature Prioritization
• The NEEDS Method: Backlog Refinement (Grooming) Based on Business Needs

Useful Story Splitting Techniques for Right-Sizing User Stories and Features

• Split Features, Epics and User Stories at the Last Responsible Moment
• User Story vs. Epic: What Is a User Story and What Is an Epic?
• Effective User Story Slicing Techniques Are Essential for the INVEST Model
• A Simple but Powerful Way to Breakdown an Epic or a User Story
• An Agile User Story Example that Delivers Incremental Business Value
• Acceptance Criteria Examples for Splitting an Epic
• Example of User Stories and Acceptance Criteria: Splitting by User Roles
• Splitting User Stories Example: A Breakdown Based on Data Variations
• More Ways to Split User Stories: The Business Rules Breakdown
• User Story Decomposition by Sequence of Events
• How to Split Stories by Workflow Steps or Use Case Paths

Define Given-When-Then Scenarios with Examples

• From User Story Acceptance Criteria to User Story Acceptance Tests
• The Gherkin Format for User Stories Explained by Example
• Given-When-Then Examples: Saving Time with Background Statements
• The Given-When-Then Gherkin Language Allows for Testing Different Data Values
• The Gherkin Syntax Makes Writing Given-When-Then Acceptance Tests Easy
• How to Write Test Scenarios from the WHO, WHAT, WHY in a User Story
• Test Scenario Example: Writing Given-When-Then Statements for Business Rules

Where Can You Go from Here?

• Bonus Lecture: Special Offers and Related Training

Lesson Previews