Story Mapping for a Better Product Backlog

Brian Button Product Manager - Application Services

CenturyLink Cloud

Product Backlogs - The Good

• See today’s work

• See tomorrow’s work

• See the end

Product Backlogs - The Bad

• Lack of

• Context

• Grouping

• Schedule

Solution - User Story Maps

• Provides

• Roadmap/Big Picture

• Context

• Release Schedule

Biggest Advantages

• Voice of the user!

• Collaboration!

Mechanics

User Activities User Tasks User Stories

Usage OrderImplementation Order

Information Radiators

Minimal Marketable Features (MMF)

Example• http://www.cardboardit.com

• Course Management System

• Who are the users?

• What are the big ticket things they do?

• User Activities

• Drill down into them

• User Tasks

• Write stories down a column to implement a task

• Group into MMFs

• Decide on release order

Other Advantages

• Points out holes in requirements

• Information radiator for whole team

• Focal point of room

• Lots of good conversations

Next Steps

• Estimation

• Group into Sprints if Scrum

• Put onto Kanban board if lean/kanban

• Track progress

Questions?

Brian Button brian.button@tier3.com

@brianbuttonxp