Facilitated by Ola M.
Transform your story map into a detailed Product Backlog with well-written user stories, clear acceptance criteria, and smart prioritization.
From Story Map to Product Backlog:
The story map gives us the big picture. Now we need detailed, actionable user stories that developers can actually build. This session is where planning meets execution.
Writing Detailed User Stories:
• Refining stories from the story map
• Adding detailed descriptions and context
• Including acceptance criteria for clarity
• Ensuring stories meet INVEST criteria
• Adding technical notes where helpful
Acceptance Criteria Best Practices:
• Using Given-When-Then format
• Being specific but not prescriptive
• Including both happy path and edge cases
• Making criteria testable
• Getting team agreement on criteria
Example User Story Breakdown:
Epic: Donation Amount Selection
Story 1: As a donor, I want to select from preset amounts so I can quickly donate
Story 2: As a donor, I want to enter a custom amount so I can donate exactly what I want
Story 3: As a donor, I want to see what my donation supports so I feel good about contributing
Creating the Product Backlog in Jira:
• Setting up project boards for each feature
• Creating epics in Jira
• Adding user stories with all necessary fields
• Linking stories to epics
• Adding labels, components, and story points
Prioritization Workshop:
• Value vs Effort analysis for each story
• Identifying dependencies between stories
• Sequencing stories for coherent development
• Balancing technical foundation with visible features
• Stakeholder input on priorities
Prioritization Techniques:
• MoSCoW: Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have
• WSJF: Weighted Shortest Job First
• Value vs Complexity matrix
• Kano Model for customer satisfaction
• Stack ranking for forced prioritization
Technical Considerations:
• Foundation stories that enable other stories
• Architecture decisions that impact priorities
• Integration points with existing systems
• Technical debt and quality considerations
• Akiniyi’s guidance on technical approach
Sprint 0 Preparation:
• Selecting stories for first sprint
• Ensuring stories are Ready (meet DoR)
• Estimating story points as a team
• Identifying risks and dependencies
• Planning team capacity for Sprint 1
What You’ll Deliver This Week:
• Complete Product Backlog in Jira with 20-30 stories
• All stories have clear acceptance criteria
• Stories are prioritized and sized
• Sprint 1 backlog is ready to go
• Technical approach documented
Benefits of Attending This Session:
Participants will have a detailed, prioritized Product Backlog ready for development, understand how to write stories that drive clarity, know how to prioritize based on value, and be fully prepared to start Sprint 1. The hard planning work is done – now we build!