User Stories & Backlog Management

A user story (work item) is a short, simple description of a feature told from the perspective of the person who desires the new capability, usually a user or customer of the system. They typically follow a simple template:

As a <type of user>, I want <some goal> so that <some reason>.

Here is a quick summary of 6 levels of Agile Planning:

Following video explains process for the agile backlog management:

Also, enjoy the most comprehensive list of resources for Agile user story and backlog management:

Presentations

• Introduction to user stories
• Effective user stories
• Prioritizing your product backlog

Articles

• User story explained [article]
• Advantage of user stories for requirements [article]
• How to hold an effective backlog grooming session [article]
• Writing contracts for Agile development [article]
• Non-functional requirements as user-stories [article]
• 9 tips for creating good sprint backlog [article]
• Product backlog articles from Scrum Alliance [various articles]
• ScrumBut: Construct the Sprint Backlog According to Individual Specialist Capacity [article]
• Agile smells: Lack of progress  [article]

Templates

• "As a user, I want" user story template

Videos

• Prioritizing your product backlog by Mike Cohn
• Effective User Stories by Mike Cohn
• Agile Estimating at DFW Scrum by Mike Cohn
• Bay XP Meeting Part 1: Agile Estimation, Mike Cohn
• Bay XP Meeting Part 2: Agile Estimation, Mike Cohn

Tools

• All product backlog and user story management tools
• Free Agile Tools Review

Books

• User stories applied
• Agile estimation and planning

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