How to organize a user story writing workshop. An overview for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and others wanting to organize creation of an agile product backlog

2. Overiview
 Assumptions for Facilitators
 When is a story writing workshop called
for?
 Assumptions for the Product Owner
 Who must be there? Who else should be
invited?
 Ideal physical Space
 Prepare for the workshop
 Get cracking!
 After the workshop

3. Assumptions for Facilitators
 Workshop Facilitators must
 Be fluent in writing user stories
 Have general knowledge of the product
domain and vision before the workshop
begins
 Establish trust with all of the audiences in
attendance
 Have all of the preparations perfectly
complete at the time the workshop begins.
 Scrum Masters are best at this. 

4. When is a story writing
workshop needed?
 When the business has a product vision,
but has no backlog of desired value
 When the product vision is expansive
enough that the backlog is too big for them
to explain in one sitting (50 stories? Create
your own rule-of-thumb)
 When there are significant technical or
architectural implications that could impact
the product vision.
 When you need to establish a shared
vision and approach with the product and
development teams.

5. Assumptions for the Product
Owner
 The product owner(s) exist.
 A product vision has been established, and
can be explained to the team in 5 minutes
or less.
 They are committed to:
 Make themselves and any needed staff
available during the entire workshop
 Explain the product vision to the group in 5
minutes or less
 Prioritize and groom the backlog after the
workshop is complete.

6. Who must be there?
 The product owner, and any other
product staff that will have input into the
backlog
 The entire team
 All must be physically present at the
workshop
 No call-ins
 Who ever shows up are the right people.
 Some real-time collaboration tools possible,
but not at BAML

7. Who should be there?
 Others with input to the final product:
 Quality/UAT Testers
 Regulatory/Auditing
 Security
 Legal
 Change management
 Technology Infrastructure
 Customer Support

8. Ideal conditions
 Primary Objective: generate as many user
stories as possible, without impediment
 Maintain focus on generating stories
○ No one can write anything wrong, unimportant, or
unclear
○ No prioritization, scheduling, or sizing
 Destroy any impediments immediately
○ Lack of preparation
○ Outside distractions (physical or human)
○ Lack of openness, respect, and courage

9. Ideal physical space
 Close space that supports complete
focus
 Lots and lots of open wall space
 Walls that can accommodate drafting
dots or large sticky notes
 Location for refreshments
 Easy for everyone to get to and be on
time

10. Fourth floor “Virtual Machine”
Room

11. Themes for groups of
stories
 Themes are useful ways to group stories
so that they can be prioritized
 General business objectives:
○ “View Account Information”
○ “Loan Application Processing”
○ “New Account Marketing”

12. Prepare for the Workshop
 Posters
 User story format
 Types of user stories
 Product Vision (if available)
 Tools
 Half-page card stock or extra-large stickies
 Drafting dots
 Enough sharpies for everyone
 Blue tape
 Theme cards (if themes exist)
 Have everything in abundance – don’t allow for
the impediment of running short on supplies

13. Other useful tools
 INVEST model poster (if everyone knows
what the INVEST model is)
 List of personas
 High level information architecture, story
maps, or wireframes that can inspire
stories
 Technology platform details (if they exist)
 EVERYTHING on BIG VISIBLE CHARTS
 Keep it simple. Tools should never be a
distraction.

14. Prepare the participants
 Elevator-pitch of the purpose
 This is your chance to create the (and
your!) future!
 Lombardi time – Be there 10 minutes
early, or you’re late
 Be there for 100% of the time box.
 Don’t plan on interruptions
 When it’s over, it’s over

15. Prepare the room
 Hang posters as high as possible – don’t
take up wall space from stories
 Distribute blank cards, dots, and pens
around the room.
 Remove anything else that could be a
distraction.

16. Get cracking!
 Start on time
 1 minute – Why are we here?
 5 minutes or less – Who are we? (Name
and role only)
 5 minutes – Product Vision
 5 minutes – User Story Orientation

17. User Story Orientation
 Why are we creating user stories?
 To establish a backlog of work to obtain the
value represented in the vision
 What is a user story?
 Very simple explanation
 Explain personas if necessary
 Walk through one or two examples?
 Good one: “As a user, I need to log in so that I
can use the system”.
 What are the rules of the session?
 What if I need help?

18. What are the rules of the
session?
 If a story comes into your head, write it on
a story card
 You cannot write anything wrong
 Product owner and development teams
(and everyone else) can work together to
generate ideas for stories
 No prioritization
 No scheduling
 No sizing or estimation
 If you have a question, ask one of the
facilitators

19. Get to work
 Allow people to get a rhythm going after
a few minutes
 Workshops work best with “beginners
mind” – no advance strategy or motive
other than to get as many stories as
possible
 If someone looks lost, help them think
through a couple stories
 Most sessions will develop into healthy
chaos.

20. Themes/Ep
ics
Stories

21. UX Designer Marketing
Director
Technical
Architect
Product
Manager
QA Lead
Scrum
Master

24. Follow up
 Capture all of the stories in digital format as soon as
possible after the workshop
 Generate new beautiful story cards with the entire
output of the workshop
 Create a story gallery, and allow everyone to visit it.
 Let people add new stories to the gallery as they
come up with new ideas
 Best case: get a team together, and have the gallery
ready within 24 hours.
 Ask the product owner to acknowledge all the hard
work done, and inform them how grooming and
prioritization will proceed.

28. Thank you!
Jeff Lopez-Stuit
jlopezstuit@solutionsiq.com
www.solutionsiq.com