In Scrum, Product Backlog Refinement is an essential meeting of the Product Owner and the Development Team to gain clarity and a shared understanding of what needs to be done through discussion and sharing of ideas. The following is a guide example of how to run an effective Product Backlog Refinement meeting. We know that many people learn […]
User Stories
Definition of Done vs. User Stories vs. Acceptance Criteria
One of the more frequently asked questions in my Scrum workshops is around the difference between Definition of “Done” and Acceptance Criteria, and how they relate to User Stories. While Acceptance Criteria is a commonly understood concept in software development, Definition of “Done” is unique to Scrum. People get confused between these two things but […]
Scrum by Example – The Story of an Incomplete Sprint
A Scrum Sprint is incomplete when the Team can’t deliver the working features they committed to. We cover the reasons for this and how you can help your Team. Dramatis Personae Steve – a ScrumMaster and the hero of our story Paula – the Product Owner of Steve’s Team Tonia – the Team’s Quality Assurance […]
Scrum by Example – How to Deal with Bad User Stories as a ScrumMaster
It is common in the early stages of Scrum implementation for there to be misunderstandings about what User Stories are for and what makes them useful. A ScrumMaster’s task is to be able to help the Team and Product Owner when they are faced with ineffective User Stories as they go into Sprint Planning. Dramatis […]
Scrum by Example – The Trouble with Sprint Burndowns
Are Sprint Burndowns helping or hurting your team? Our case study discussed some practical tips a ScrumMaster can use to keep them from being misleading.
Lifecycle of a User Story
Agile User Stories. Answers to: What are they? Where do they come from? When are they created? How are they prioritized? Practical examples.
Story Splitting – a Play – “Spike Sherman”
The story of a Scrum Team from UBC who created a play to demonstrate their understanding of INVEST, User Story Splitting and Spikes.
Learning Story Mapping Through Exercises
Story Mapping is a tool to help Scrum teams visualize Product Backlog and User Needs. With Story Mapping, teams organize Stories and plan Sprints accordingly.