User Story

📌 What is a User Story?

A User Story is a simple, concise description of a feature or functionality from the end-user's perspective. It helps Agile teams understand what the user needs and why, ensuring that development focuses on delivering value.

🎯 Formula: As a [type of user], I want [a feature] so that [a benefit or goal is achieved].

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📖 User Story Example

E-commerce Example:

🛒 As a customer, I want to receive an email confirmation when I place an order, so that I have proof of purchase.

Banking Example:

💳 As a user, I want to receive an OTP before making a transaction, so that my payments are secure.

HR System Example:

🏢 As an HR manager, I want to generate an employee performance report, so that I can evaluate staff productivity.

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🔑 Key Components of a User Story

Component	Description
Role (Who?)	Identifies the user (e.g., customer, admin, HR manager)
Need (What?)	Describes the action the user wants to perform
Goal (Why?)	Explains the reason or value behind the request

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📏 INVEST Principle: Writing Good User Stories

A good User Story follows the INVEST criteria:

INVEST Criteria	Meaning
I - Independent	Can be worked on without dependency on other stories
N - Negotiable	Can be refined and improved through discussion
V - Valuable	Delivers clear value to the user
E - Estimable	Can be estimated for effort
S - Small	Can be completed within a sprint
T - Testable	Has clear acceptance criteria

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✅ Acceptance Criteria: Defining Success

Acceptance criteria define what must be true for the user story to be considered "done."

Example - Order Confirmation Email

🛒 User Story: As a customer, I want to receive an email confirmation when I place an order, so that I have proof of purchase.

✅ Acceptance Criteria:

• An email is sent automatically after an order is placed.

• The email contains the order details (order ID, item list, total price).

• The email is sent within 5 minutes.

• If the email fails, a retry mechanism should trigger.

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🔄 User Story Lifecycle in Scrum

1️⃣ Backlog Grooming → Product Owner adds the story to the Product Backlog. 2️⃣ Sprint Planning → The team selects stories for the Sprint Backlog. 3️⃣ Development & Testing → Developers implement, testers verify against Acceptance Criteria. 4️⃣ Sprint Review → Team demonstrates the feature to stakeholders. 5️⃣ Sprint Retrospective → Team reflects on improvements.

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⚖️ User Stories vs. Use Cases vs. Functional Requirements

Aspect	User Story	Use Case	Functional Requirement
Format	"As a [user], I want..."	Detailed step-by-step interaction	"The system must..."
Focus	User needs	System interactions	System behavior
Detail Level	High-level, simple	More detailed	Technical, precise
Best for	Agile teams	Traditional/complex systems	Specification docs

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🚀 Summary of User Stories

Aspect	Description
Definition	Short, simple description of a feature from the user's perspective
Format	"As a [user], I want [feature] so that [goal]."
Key Parts	Role, Need, Goal
Acceptance Criteria	Defines how the story is verified as "done"
Best Practice	Follow INVEST principle