Backlog and Story Shaping

Backlog and Story Shaping

Convert PRD requirements and delivery plan phases into well-shaped, independently deployable user stories with acceptance criteria and estimates. Apply the Definition of Ready so stories enter the sprint ready to execute.

Overview

Well-shaped stories are the unit of delivery. A poorly shaped story is the root cause of missed sprint goals, rework, and scope creep. This skill produces stories that are ready to implement without further clarification.

Story Shaping Process

Step 1: Epic Structure

Organise stories into epics aligned to delivery phases and user outcomes:

# Epic [N]: [Epic Title]
Objective: [The business or user outcome this epic achieves]
Phase: [Which delivery phase this epic belongs to]
Priority: Must Have / Should Have / Could Have

## Stories
- [STORY-N]: [Title]
- [STORY-N+1]: [Title]

Step 2: Story Format

For each story:

# STORY-[N]: [Short, descriptive title]

**Epic**: [Parent epic]
**Priority**: Must Have / Should Have / Could Have
**Estimate**: XS (< 0.5d) | S (0.5-1d) | M (1-2d) | L (2-3d) | XL (> 3d)

## User Story
As a [persona], I want [capability] so that [outcome].

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Given [context], when [action], then [result]
- [ ] Given [invalid context], when [action], then [error handling]
- [ ] Given [edge case], when [action], then [expected behaviour]

## Technical Notes
[Key implementation hints — which components, APIs, or data this story touches]

## Dependencies
[Stories or external items that must complete before this story can start]

## Definition of Ready Checklist
- [ ] User story is clear and understood by the team
- [ ] Acceptance criteria are testable and agreed
- [ ] Dependencies are identified and resolved or scheduled
- [ ] Estimate is agreed
- [ ] Technical approach is understood (no unknowns requiring a spike)

Step 3: Sizing Calibration

Use reference stories to calibrate estimates:

• XS: Change a label, add a log statement, update a config value
• S: Add a single new API field, fix a known bug with clear cause
• M: New CRUD endpoint with validation, simple UI screen with API integration
• L: Complex business logic, multi-step process, significant refactoring
• XL: New service, major feature — should be broken down further

Step 4: Backlog Ordering

Order the backlog by:

1. Dependencies (unblocking stories first)
2. Risk reduction (spike stories and architectural decisions early)
3. Business value (highest value features before lower-value enhancements)
4. Learning (stories that validate assumptions before building on them)

Step 5: Sprint Planning View

For the first sprint, produce a sprint plan:

Story	Estimate	Assignee (role)	Acceptance Test
STORY-1	S	Backend Engineer	API returns 200 with correct schema
STORY-2	M	Full-stack	Form submits and data persists

Definition of Done

Stories are Done when:

• Code reviewed and approved
• Acceptance criteria all passing
• Unit and integration tests written and passing
• No new linting or type errors introduced
• Feature available in staging environment
• Documentation updated (API docs, README, ADR if applicable)

Additional Resources

• references/story-splitting-patterns.md — How to split large stories safely
• assets/backlog-template.md — Blank backlog template with epic and story structure