story time! tech hangout 2014/07/30

SCRUM: Story Time!

Dmitry Velykoivanenko, Galina Kostetskaya!Engineering Managers!

30/07/2014

Today’s agenda

• What is a User Story?!• How to write a User Story?!• What is a Story Point?!• How to estimate a Story?!• Practice: Silent Grouping Technique!• Q&A

2 © Copyright Innovecs 2012

Story


User Story

A User Story is one or more sentences in the everyday or business language of the end user or user of a system that captures what a user does or needs to do as part of

his or her job function.


Format


As a <role>, ! ! I want <goal/desire> !! ! ! ! ! so that <benefit>.

Example

As an admin, I want to be able to delete pesky peasants’ accounts from my precious blog so that only the best remain.

6© Copyright Innovecs 2012

As a user, I want to be able to hit people over the internet so that I can show them how I feel.

As a user, I want to be able to register so that I don’t need to enter my data every time I visit the website.

INVEST


I! Independent! !N! Negotiable! !V! Valuable! !E! Estimable! !S! Scalable (small sized)!T! Testable!

Benefits


• Extreme brevity: can be done in weeks or days;!• Allows discussion of requirements throughout the

project lifetime;!• Needing very little maintenance;!• Being considered only at the time of use;!• Allowing the breaking of projects into small increments;!• Suitability for projects which have volatile or poorly

understood requirements;!• Making it easier to estimate development effort;!• Maintaining a close customer contact;

Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance criteria define the boundaries of a user story, and are

used to confirm when a story is completed and working as intended.


Acceptance Criteria

A user cannot submit a form without completing all the mandatory fields


Information from the form is stored in the registrations database

Protection against spam is working!

Payment can be made via credit card!

An acknowledgment email is sent to the user after submitting the form.

Example


Story: As a user, I want to be able to hit people over the internet so that I can show them how I feel.

Acceptance Criteria: Users should have a button they can press to hit people; The people hit should feel pain when they are hit; The button should be named “Hit people” with giant red letters; The users should not be able to hit the admin;

Advice


1. Start with the Users!2. Use Personas to Discover the Right Stories!3. Write Stories Collaboratively!4. Keep your Stories Simple and Short!5. Start with Epics!6. Decompose your Stories until they are Ready!7. Add Acceptance Criteria!8. Use Paper Cards!9. Keep your Stories Visible and Accessible!10. Don’t Solely Rely on User Stories!

Definition of Ready


A “ready” item should be clear, feasible and testable

ESTIMATIONS


I HATE ESTIMATIONS


“5 months??? I am sure it can be done in 1! Just do it FASTER!”

Why we can’t get rid of !estimations*!


The main thing which happens during the estimation process is the development of the common understanding of the user story.

* besides nasty clients

Surprise time


Customers don’t really care about the hours, as their final goal is to get cost and timing. If you provide them cost and timing – they don’t care how you estimate – in store points, hours or bananas.


Uncertainty


Real life


Infinite time estimation meeting


Prepare


1.Groom the backlog!2.Decompose complex user stories!3.Collaborate early!4.Print information!5.Have PO at hand!6.No laptops!7.Required participation !8.Bribes are ok!


Real life


afterbefore

Story point


effort required to implement a story

Estimation points


Process


->!2h

Planning poker


Practice time


The Silent Grouping Technique


Preparation Lay the ground rules; set expectations

Round 1: Individual Placement Quickly get an initial size estimate for all of the user stories

Round 2: Group Placement Give everyone an opportunity to (silently) provide input to all user stories

Discussion and Reflection Resolve any disputes; reflect on experience; gain consensus before moving on; discuss insights

Q&A time!

Thank you!!!

Dmitry Velykoivanenko!Galina Kostetskaya!

!Engineering Managers!

!

http://tisquirrel.wordpress.com/

story time! tech hangout 2014/07/30

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