Agile Delivery · tool 4 of 6
User Stories
User Stories: describes a need from the user’s point of view.
Best for: Backlog work · Time: Minutes per story
Domain: Schedule · Focus area: Planning
How it works
A story is a short promise of a conversation: as a role, I want something, so that I get a benefit. Good stories are small and testable, and they deliver value independently.
- Keep the “so that”; it holds the value.
- Split large stories by behaviour.
- Add acceptance criteria.
How to apply it
- Write for a real user.
- Discuss it with the team.
- Add acceptance criteria.
- Split until it fits a few days.
In practice
As a customer, I want to reset my password, so that I can get back in without calling support.
Pro tip
If there’s no “so that”, question whether the story is needed.
Quick check
Which part holds the value of a user story?
Sources
- M. Cohn, User Stories Applied (2004)
- K. Schwaber and J. Sutherland, The Scrum Guide (2020)
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 against the PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition · Practitioner review pending · How this guide is made