Facilitated by Tox. B.

Most teams know how to write user stories. Far fewer know how to split them well.

Welcome to Advanced User Stories:

This session goes beyond the basics. We focus on the skill that separates good Agile teams from great ones — the ability to break large, complex work into small, independent, valuable stories that can actually be completed in a sprint.

What We’ll Cover:

• Why large user stories kill sprint velocity and team momentum
• The INVEST criteria: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable
• 8 proven story splitting patterns with real examples
• How to slice an epic without losing business value
• Writing acceptance criteria that actually define “done”
• Common mistakes teams make when splitting stories — and how to avoid them

Live Practice:

We’ll take a real-world epic and split it together as a group. Students will practice applying splitting patterns and get feedback in real time.

Who Should Attend:

• Product Owners who struggle to break down their backlog
• Scrum Masters who see stories carried over sprint after sprint
• Developers tired of unclear requirements and scope creep
• Anyone preparing for SAFe, CSPO, or PSPO certifications

Benefits of Attending This Session:

Participants will walk away with practical splitting techniques they can apply immediately, a reusable checklist for evaluating story quality, and the confidence to push back on stories that aren’t sprint-ready.