If you’re new to Trust Insights, welcome! User Stories are one of my favorite forms of communication. If you’re not new, thanks for returning.
You already know that my love language is user stories.
I realized, however, that I haven’t done a deep dive into why user stories are so effective. Well, buckle up, that day has come.
First, to get us all on the same page, we use user stories to help define the 5Ps. The 5P Framework is Purpose, People, Process, Platform, and Performance.
A user story is a three-part sentence that tells you the audience, action, and outcome.
“As a [persona], I [want to], so [that].”
The “persona” represents the “people”, the “want to” tells you the “process and platform”, and the “that” defines the “purpose and performance”.
But really, what is a user story?
“A User Story describes a feature or requirement that is to be implemented and is independent of a specific tool (i.e. JIRA, Rally, Trello, etc.). User stories are employed in various Agile frameworks including Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming.”
Source: https://tech.gsa.gov/guides/effective_user_stories/
Something I haven’t discussed is the acceptance criteria for a user story. It’s another framework! (I did not create this framework). The framework you can use is INVEST (Independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small, testable).
Source: https://tech.gsa.gov/guides/effective_user_stories/
What the heck does that mean? It means that when you are creating a user story, it should be the lowest possible point of your requirement. If you can take your user story and break it into smaller stories, you still have stories to write. It also needs to demonstrate value. When I talk about user stories, the “so [that]” maps to the purpose and performance. Your outcome. It’s your “why”.
User stories in Agile development are well documented. Repurposing user stories in general business and marketing, not so much.
WHY USER STORIES?
I prefer user stories over other kinds of requirements because they are straightforward. It’s a simple sentence with a lot of flexibility. In Agile development, there are many rules governing how we create and execute user stories. In business, we don’t need the same rigidity. We can use them as a communication tool. We can use them to make sure we’re all on the same page about what we’re doing. We can use them when we aren’t sure if our actions align with our goals. We can use them when we want to make sure we’ve represented everyone’s needs.
HOW DO WE WRITE EFFECTIVE USER STORIES?
The first P is Purpose. This is your goal, your intention. What is the problem you’re trying to solve? What is the question you’re trying to answer? We often start with really big goals. When our goals are too big, it makes it hard to create a performance plan (the fifth P). Drafting high-level user stories can help break down your goal into manageable, measurable pieces.
“As a CEO, I want to create content around user stories, so that I can explain their value”
This is a good start, but it doesn’t tell me what I need to know. How do I define value? How do I know I’m explaining the concept correctly? Let’s keep going.
The second P in the 5P framework is People. Who are the people involved in your initiative? Who are the customers, the end users? Each of these people should have their own distinct user story. Each user story should speak to their needs and track back to your overall goal.
This is where a lot of teams get stuck. They don’t create enough representative user stories. They also forget to create user stories for their different audience members. You might think, “This person isn’t involved so they don’t need a user story.” To that I would say, create one anyway. You might realize that they have a role that you were not aware of. At the very least, you’ll have all your bases covered.
The third P in the 5P framework is Process. How are you going to write and collect user stories? I like to introduce the idea to my team and then let them create their own. It takes practice, or rather, a process. The more you use them, the easier it is to create them. Often when I’m talking with someone, I’ll rephrase their statements as user stories. It’s a good way to verify that you’ve understood what they are after.
User stories are also an effective way for you to work out what your process is for an initiative. The “want to” in the user story can start to help you understand what that is.
Let’s look at the example above, “As a CEO, I want to create content around user stories, so that I can explain their value.” That statement tells me that we’re creating content. The first thing I would do with this information is look at our content creation process. Do we have a repeatable process or do we need to develop one?
The fourth P in the 5P framework is Platform. I always discourage people from listing the platform in the user story. Why? Because it can create an unconscious bias towards the solution. If you state, “I want to create content” your options for doing so are wide open. If you state, “I want to create content with generative AI” you narrow the kinds of solutions you can choose from. In the first statement, generative AI could be a solution, but it might not be. You don’t want to limit yourself by stating the platform. The user story should inform you of the platform selection, not the other way around.
The last P in the 5P framework is Performance. How did you do? In the context of user stories, they should tell you what you need to know to move an initiative forward. They should inform you of your team and customer’s needs, and what actions you need to take. I frame the performance section as “Did you answer the question asked?” and “Did you solve the problem?” In this case, did I successfully show the value of user stories to my audience? Hopefully, you’ll tell me!
TIPS AND BEST PRACTICES
Keep your user stories concise and focused. They should always tie back to your goal. Make sure your user stories aren’t complicated or use overly technical language. Anyone, regardless of their involvement, should be able to understand a user story. Use user stories to help with shared understanding. Lastly, iterate user stories as the initiative evolves and as you learn more information.
Are you using user stories with your team? Reply to this email to tell me or come join the conversation in our Free Slack Group, Analytics for Marketers.
– Katie Robbert, CEO
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