Missing Hero
Problem
The team are asked to define the User Stories for an upcoming initiative.
Context
- The team / organisation are undergoing an Agile transformation
Forces
- There is an expectation that the User Story template be followed
- The team believe they have already have lots of customer knowledge
- Product Owner has a strong engineering background
Supposed Solution
Create the stories based on the teams internal knowledge of the market and customer. Ensure that the User Story template is adhered to by just using “ The User” where ever it asks for who. When there is a requirement that is internal facing, use an internal stakeholder. e.g. “The Developers” for uprgading dependencies, or “The Product Owner” for internal reports and analytics.
Resulting Context
- User Stories become a list of features and tasks that just need to be executed.
- There isn't scope to discuss alternative solutions because their isn't a shared understanding of exactly who needs the solution.
- The product ends up with too many features that aren't used or difficult to use
Alternate Solution
- Build a clear picture of the different User and Stakeholder personas.
- Focus on those Personas, the problems they have, and what solving those problems will do for them
- Bring the team together to create shared understanding and discuss options to solve those problems