3 Key Concepts When Breaking Down Big User Stories into Smaller Stories

Big user stories are hard to decompose.

And most teams get it wrong.

But there are three key concepts that will help you be more effective:

1. Decide where to compromise

Make sure the team and stakeholders agree on what they’re willing to compromise to get smaller user stories.

2. Anchor negotiations on metrics

Negotiate the removal of scope which does not have an impact on improving a key metric.

3. Always deliver customer value

And always break down big user stories in a way that ensures the customer gets value from each of the individual smaller stories.

As you get more practice, these three key concepts will make breaking down your work easier.