What is an Epic User Story?
An epic user story is a large, high-level user story that outlines a significant feature or capability that a product or project should have. It is usually too big to fit into a single sprint or iteration, so it is broken down into smaller user stories and tasks.
What are the Benefits of Epic User Stories?
Epic user stories provide several benefits, including:
- Helps teams identify and prioritize high-level features
- Facilitates communication between stakeholders and development teams
- Enables teams to break down complex features into smaller, more manageable pieces
- Helps teams focus on delivering value to users and stakeholders
What is Included in an Epic User Story?
An epic user story typically includes the following information:
- A brief description of the feature or capability
- The user or stakeholder who will benefit from the feature
- The goal or outcome the feature will achieve
- High-level acceptance criteria
- Any dependencies or technical considerations that should be taken into account
How are Epic User Stories Best Used?
Epic user stories are best used to identify and prioritize high-level features and capabilities that a product or project should have. They can help teams focus on delivering value to users and stakeholders and break down complex features into smaller, more manageable pieces. Epic user stories can also facilitate communication between stakeholders and development teams and help ensure that everyone is aligned on the overall goals and objectives of the project.
How to Create an Epic User Story
Identify the Overarching Goal
The first step is to identify the goal or objective of the user story. This is usually a high-level business goal or a problem that needs to be solved. It should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Determine the User Personas
The next step is to determine the user personas or the types of users who will be interacting with the system. This will help you understand their needs and behaviors, which will inform the design of the user story.
Break Down the Epic into Smaller Stories
The epic user story should be broken down into smaller, more manageable user stories that can be tackled by the development team. These smaller stories should be independent and deliverable, and should have a clear value to the end user.
Write the User Stories
Each user story should follow the format: "As a [user persona], I want [goal] so that [benefit]." The user story should be concise and specific, and should focus on the needs and goals of the user.
Prioritize the User Stories
Once you have a list of user stories, you should prioritize them based on their value to the user and the business. This will help you determine which stories should be tackled first and which can wait until later.
Estimate the Effort
Finally, you should estimate the effort required to complete each user story. This will help you determine how many stories can be completed in a given sprint or release, and will help you manage expectations with stakeholders.
Frequently Asked Questions about Epic User Stories
How long should an epic user story be?
There is no set length for an epic user story, but it should be long enough to capture the high-level feature or capability it describes while being concise enough to be easily understood by stakeholders and development teams.
Can an epic user story be broken down into smaller stories?
Yes, epic user stories are often broken down into smaller user stories and tasks that can be completed in a single sprint or iteration.
Who should write epic user stories?
Epic user stories can be written by product owners, business analysts, or anyone else who is responsible for identifying and prioritizing high-level features and capabilities for a product or project.
How often should epic user stories be reviewed and updated?
Epic user stories should be reviewed and updated regularly, ideally as part of the agile development process. They should be revisited and refined as more information becomes available and priorities shift.
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