Define Your Product Features. From Stories to Journeys

Define Your
Product Features
From stories to journeys
Thursday 9 July 2020, 9:00 CEST

At the end of this session, you will…
Know various ways of describing features
Know how stories fit in a larger context
Have a new story template to try out

Story templates
Finishing stories
Stories in context
Yet Another Story Template
Define Your
Product Features
Wrapping up

As a new subscriber,
I want regular tips
and tricks so that I
learn how I can best
use the product.
User Story
example
For any product change, write a story

As a [persona/role],
I want [goal/desire]
so that [reason/benefit].
User Story template
A user story is an
informal description of
a functional increment,
from the perspective of
a user or customer.

A user story is NOT a requirement.
Photo by Josh Calabrese on Unsplash
It is a brief description of
product value for someone.
Keep the empathy!

The Three Cs
As a subscriber, I want to download
my invoices so that I can forward
them to my bookkeeper.
Card: small, short-lived,
annotated descriptions Conversation: invitation
to discuss details later
Confirmation: actual
value needs to be tested

Photo by Precondo CA on Unsplash
Independent (of all others)
Negotiable (not a contract)
Valuable (or Vertical)
Estimable (approximation)
Small (fits in an iteration)
Testable (in principle)

As a subscriber, I want to download my invoices
so that I can forward them to my bookkeeper.
Why How
Who What
A decent story

A terrible story
As a user, I want to fill out a form
so that I can receive marketing newsletters.

A terrible story
As a user, I want to fill out a form
so that I can receive marketing newsletters.
Not a benefit
Not a role Not a desire

Feel free to use something else!
NOTE
It’s just a
template!
Photo by Tim Arterbury on Unsplash

We often just offer
what a customer asks.
It is easy to confuse
offering a solution with
solving a problem.
Issue: Missing Problem
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

When [situation],
I want [motivation]
so that [outcome].
When I paid for a product,
I want an invoice, so that
I keep my bookkeeper busy.
Job Story template
Sometimes, a context is more
relevant than a persona.
A job story forces you to
focus on the problem, but it
does not suggest a solution!

Clients value solutions
over problems.
It requires seeing a
solution to realize what
the actual problem is.
Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash
Issue: Solution Bias

In order to [solve problem],
we will [build solution].
In order to keep bookkeepers
happy, we will offer PDF
downloads of invoices.
Problem Story template
Benefits?
Drawbacks?

In order to [solve problem],
we will [build solution].
In order to keep bookkeepers
happy, we will offer PDF
downloads of invoices.
Problem Story template
There can be value in simplicity.
Problem stories balance the
problem and solution, but they
have no persona or context.

People just believe that
they solved a problem.
We forget that many
features are just
assumptions that need
to be validated.
Issue: Assumptions
Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash

We believe [assumption].
We’re wrong when we [do
actions] and get [outcome].
We believe our users need
invoices. We’re wrong when
we offer simple PDFs and get
two downloads or less day.
Lean Experiment template
Every feature can be an
experiment that needs testing.
Beware of false positives and
false negatives.

Issue: Tech Requirements
Colleagues and other
teams can be clients.
We need to solve
problems for multiple
stakeholders.
Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash

We have [current situation];
we want [desired situation].
We have invoices sent to
users when they ask;
we want PDF downloads of
invoices by users themselves.
Improvement Story template
Benefits?
Drawbacks?

We have [current situation];
we want [desired situation].
We have invoices sent to
users when they ask;
we want PDF downloads of
invoices by users themselves.
Improvement Story template
Every change should be an
improvement for someone.
Improvement stories apply to
any change for any stakeholder.

Pick your favorites, mix and match…
Photo by Meghan Schiereck on Unsplash

Make iterations and increments
as short as possible
Photo by 丁亦然 on Unsplash Deliver earlier, learn faster

Make thin, vertical slices
of functionality.
Photo by Juja Han on Unsplash

Reduce waste by only specifying what you
will build now.
Photo by Ocean Biggshott on Unsplash

Acceptance Criteria
The “conditions of satisfaction” are story-specific tests that need to
pass for a story to be complete. They help achieve a shared
understanding of problem and solution.
Given a subscription payment was made, when the user clicks a
Download Invoice button that corresponds with this payment, then
a PDF with invoice is downloaded and can be saved to a local drive.
Example

Definition of Done
The Definition of Done is a checklist of criteria that needs ticking
off for any story to be considered done. They help achieve a
common understanding of quality and completeness.
Code reviewed and improved Compliance requirements met
Regression tests passed User documentation updated
Security assessment done Multi-language supported
Example

A hierarchy
improves the
ability to keep
ideas at a high
level until a team
is ready to start
working on
them.
Hierarchy of Work Items
Epic
Feature
Story
Task
Several months of work
Several weeks of work
Several days of work
Several hours of work
Feature
Story Story
Task Task Task

Hierarchy of Work Items (example)
Epic Notification Management
Feature Let user turn available notifications on/off
Story As a paying subscriber, I want to be informed that my credit
card will be charged soon, so that I have time to cancel my
subscription or update the payment method and details.
Task Create payment notification from email template

Something worth
announcing to customers
Minimum
Marketable
Feature
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

Feature Feature Feature Feature
Journey Mapping
A user journey is
a scenario of
product and
service features
used in sequence,
as a typical path
that users take.
Journey
Features are best evaluated in the context
of larger scenarios.

Story Mapping
Stories are best
prioritized in the
context of larger
features and
journeys.
Feature Feature Feature Feature
Journey
Story
Story
Story
Story
Story
Story
Story
Story
Story
Story
priority

Yet Another Story Template (YAST)
FOR [persona / context]
WE IMPROVE [pain / gain]
AND REALIZE [what / job / need / want]
BY OFFERING [how / solution / assumption]
TESTED BY [tests / validations]
For paying subscribers, we improve availability of invoices and realize happy bookkeepers
by offering downloads of invoices tested by # downloads per day.
by offering invoice attachments tested by # emails opened.
Job-to-be-Done
Lean Experiment
problem
solution

Yet Another Story Template (YAST)
FOR [persona / context]
WE IMPROVE [pain / gain]
AND REALIZE [what / job / need / want]
BY OFFERING [how / solution / assumption]
TESTED BY [tests / validations]
by offering downloads of invoices tested by # downloads per day.
by offering invoice attachments tested by # emails opened.
Same for all stories in feature
Different per story

Epic
Feature
Story
Task
Feature
Story Story
Task Task Task
Job-to-be-Done
Lean Experiment
A Great Combination

https://www.alexandercowan.com/best-agile-user-story/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/acceptance-criteria-definition-done-what-difference-ronald-van-vliet/
https://www.slideshare.net/rickdaustin/storymapping-presentation
https://medium.com/hackernoon/unheralded-alternatives-to-user-stories-f1d787fc2278
https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog/job-stories-offer-a-viable-alternative-to-user-stories
https://blog.crisp.se/2014/09/25/david-evans/as-a-i-want-so-that-considered-harmful
Resources

hello@shiftup.work
shiftup.work

Define Your Product Features. From Stories to Journeys

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Define Your Product Features. From Stories to Journeys

Similar to Define Your Product Features. From Stories to Journeys (20)

More from Shiftup

More from Shiftup (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Define Your Product Features. From Stories to Journeys