How do I write user stories?

A user story should clearly and succinctly describe a product’s intended behavior from the customer’s perspective. It provides the team with information to develop the product by explaining why the customer needs the product to behave in a certain way. When the user story is delivered, it answers the need for a tangible user.

When writing user stories, a good place to start is with the INVEST mnemonic by Bill Wake (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable). Can your user story be delivered independently of other work? It’s Negotiable (up for discussion), Valuable to the customer, Estimable (you can estimate its size), Small (enough to plan), and Testable. Finessing a user story through INVEST criteria cultivates improved user stories.

Remember to focus on the user’s role and goals. As your group creates the user story, remember that the value is in the robust discussion between business and agile teams. It’s this back and forth dialogue that provides insight and reduces rework to deliver quickly.