Agile and Lean both emphasize the need to focus on customer value, and accordingly, we all want valuable user stories, but when we take a look at user stories teams are working on, we often have a hard time to see where that value is hiding.
Let’s take another look at user stories and their value, and see how we can extract more value out of our user stories.
We’ll analyze some real-life examples of user stories and will try to spell out their value by asking some questions we should always be asking while we create user stories.
4. User Stories Hell
add item from app
send item via whatsapp
order items manually
time shopping session
share shopping list
save shopping list
group items by area
premium version - no ads
competition mode
log in
redesign icon
analytics
emails item
automated test
white labeling - logo
5. Cargo Cult Story Format
As a shopper I want to save items in my shopping
list so that I can have items in my shopping list
11. ShopCrazed
Your Shopping
Cart App
Marshmallows
Milk [2]
Marashinos
Marmite
Mars bars
Marshmallows
Marsupials
Maltesers
Maltodextrin
✔
✔
✔
✔
Example:
ShopCrazed - Manage your
shopping list
✔ Stop forgetting items to
buy
✔ Spend less time at the store
12. ShopCrazed
Your Shopping
Cart App
Marshmallows
Milk [2]
Marashinos
Marmite
Mars bars
Marshmallows
Marsupials
Maltesers
Maltodextrin
✔
✔
✔
✔
Marshmallows
Milk [2]
Marashinos
Marmite
Mars bars
Marshmallows
Marsupials
Maltesers
Maltodextrin
✔
✔
✔
White Labeling
13. White Labeling
custom logo
brand-specific app publisher
Custom color scheme
Custom contact-us link
Brand-specific analytics
Basic brand admin
Add item from admin console
brand-specific build
Checkout from app
Brand promos - manual push
Scan item in store
Brand license
Branch location and info
Premium brand features
Brand promos admin
14. From Feature to MMFs
Minimal
Marketable
Feature
What is the minimum we
need to deliver in order
to generate an impact?
Brand-specific build
Publish to app store as separate app
Custom skin - logo, color theme
Upload list of products
Upload list of prices
Branch info
Show promotion items
Brand-specific activity report
White
Labeling
MMF
White Labeling
15. Mind the MMFs
MMF5
DISCOVERY EXECUTION VALIDATION
Basic White
labeling
Group items
MMF7
MMF8
White
labeling
phase 2
STORY 5.3
STORY 5.3
STORY 5.3
STORY 5.3
STORY 5.3
publish
branded app
DOING DONETODO
The BIG Picture
Brand
BuildCustom logo
21. Reframe as User Value
✔ Our company helps
our customers even
before they enter our
store
✔ When a customer
remembers something
she needs to buy she
wants to have a way to
record this need so she
doesn’t forget to buy it
when she gets to our
store
OUR CUSTOMER
22. ✔ LINKED TO OUR PURPOSE
✔ ASSUMPTIONS WE CAN VALIDATE
✔ BEHAVIOR WE CAN MEASURE
✔ IF THERE IS DEMAND, WILL BOOST
OUR PROFITS
✔ By providing a
shopping list app, We
help our customers
even before they
enter our store
✔ When a customer
remembers something
she needs to buy, and
she is not in our store
and not at home, she
wants to have a way to
record this need so
she doesn’t forget to
buy it when she gets to
our store
26. Focus on Goals & Impact
WHY
WHO
HOW
✔✔ ✔
ACTOR
NEED
DELIVERABLES
CAPABILITY
WHAT
BUSINESS GOAL
http://impactmapping.org/
27. Focus on Goals & Impact
WHY
WHO
HOW
✔✔ ✔
USER
NEED
SOLUTION
CAPABILITY
WHAT
BUSINESS GOAL
SUPERMARKET CHAINS
MARKETING STAFF
ENGAGE PATRONS OUTSIDE
THE STORE
PUSH SALES INFO AND
COUPONS
PUSH NOTIFICATION ON
PHONE, WITH LINK TO COUPON
5 WHITE LABELED APPS
EXAMPLE
29. 31 2 4
GOAL
ACTOR
IMPACT
DELIVERABLE
ACTOR IMPACT
IMPACT
DELIVERABLE
DELIVERABLE
DELIVERABLE
DELIVERABLE
DELIVERABLE
DELIVERABLE
DELIVERABLE
DELIVERABLE
DELIVERABLE
✔
In order to... As a... I want to...
✔
32. Value is...
Small
performs a significant
job for me
projects a good
future version of
myself
desirable
benefit
1GB
Thumb
nav
Playlists
1,000
Songs
In Your
Pocket
useful
attributes
34. The Pyramid of Work Item Value
LESS RISK
MORE SPEED
INTERNAL FEEDBACK
USER BENEFIT
JOB
MEANING
EXTERNAL FEEDBACK
PROFIT/SAVINGS
USABLE
RELIABLE
USEFUL
CONVENIENT
PLEASURABLE
35. SELF
ACTUALIZATION
SAFETY
The Pyramid of Work Item Value
ABRAHAM MASLOW
Hey, this looks
familiar!
LESS RISK
MORE SPEED
INTERNAL FEEDBACK
USER BENEFIT
JOB
MEANING
EXTERNAL FEEDBACK
PROFIT/SAVINGS
36. LESS RISK
MORE SPEED
INTERNAL FEEDBACK
USER BENEFIT
JOB
MEANING
EXTERNAL FEEDBACK
PROFIT/SAVINGS
How Are You Hitting Your Target?
37. The Pyramid of Work Item Value
LESS RISK
MORE SPEED
INTERNAL FEEDBACK
USER BENEFIT
JOB
MEANING
EXTERNAL FEEDBACK
PROFIT/SAVINGS
Product
MMF
User Story
Spike,
Task
38. Add item from app
Send item via whatsapp
Order items manually
Time shopping session
Share shopping list
save shopping list
ads
premium version - no ads
competition mode
Basic OCR
Redesign design icon
analytics
emails item automated test
Balance Your Backlog
40. The Pyramid of Work Item Value
LESS RISK
MORE SPEED
INTERNAL FEEDBACK
USER BENEFIT
JOB
MEANING
EXTERNAL FEEDBACK
PROFIT/SAVINGS
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
These will typically be
assumptions
43. Summary
Use Impact Mapping to start with the value
1
2 Money is the outcome, not the goal
3
Different values - Balance your backlog4
Identify your assumptions and validate them5
Track Value using MMFs