Why read this book?

Do you want to learn how to write, refine and deliver user stories?

• Are you a Product Owner or Business Analyst who needs to understand this powerful technique?
• Do you work in an Agile (Scrum or Kanban) software development environment?
• Do you want to learn how to run refinement sessions and deliver better products?
• Do you need to be confident that you’re writing and using user stories correctly in order to develop your career?

You might have worked with User Stories before or are being asked to look at them for the first time, either way, this book will take you from the basics to more advance techniques with someone who really understands the subject!

What will I learn?

• Discover the reason why user stories exist
• Understand the elements that make up a user story and why they are structured in that way.
• Learn how to discover user stories using Personas, Business Processes, Negative stories and Customer Journey Maps.
• Learn the signs of well written user stories and know how to identify common problems using the INVEST checklist
• Learn how to handle Epics, Features and User Stories and why different sized stories are useful.
• Understand the best techniques for splitting user large stories into more manageable chunks using the SPIDR technique.
• Identify when user stories are not the best communication tool and what to do instead.
• Learn how to run refinement sessions, with tips on frequency, estimation and process.
• Understand how to visualise and manage an "out of control" product backlog.

A note from the author

Hi, I'm Chris, and I have over twenty years’ experience as a Business Analyst and Product Owner, much of it working with agile software development teams, so you're in good hands!

I have delivered whole systems using User Stories and have mentored multiple Business Analysts in their roles. My specific sector knowledge includes Utilities, Laboratories, Tax Agencies, Government Agencies, Weather Forecasting and Financial Services; I've been through the pain so you don't have to!

In this book, I cover the basic practices and some more advanced techniques, taking you through the theory, practice and pitfalls of user stories to help you create, refine and visualise backlogs that will help your team deliver your software products.

The book contains loads of practical tips, tricks and lessons from "real world" experience; we even look at when we should break the rules!

I'm confident that, if you're interested the subject matter, you'll find this book valuable,

Chris