The document discusses 10 easy ways to break up relationships and provides tips for breaking user stories into smaller pieces. It suggests splitting complex user stories by slicing workflows, focusing on the simplest part first, separating operations, prioritizing just making something work before adding non-functional requirements, and generally breaking large problems into smaller chunks. Specific tips include taking a thin slice of a complex workflow, doing the simplest UI option first, and separating multiple operations into individual stories.

1. The Title Of Your Presentation
In Here Over Two Lines If Necessary
Your name
Your organisation
10 Easy Ways to Break Up
Dipesh Pala
IBM

2. By
Dipesh
Pala
Agile
NZ
2015
2
September
2015
@DipeshPala
10
EASY
WAYS
TO
BREAK
UP

3. @DipeshPala

4. Why
are
real
life
break
ups
so
difficult?
@DipeshPala

5. @DipeshPala
Why
are
real
life
break
ups
so
difficult?
Risky

6. @DipeshPala
Why
are
real
life
break
ups
so
difficult?
Risky
Dependency

7. Once
upon
a
time…
@DipeshPala
Why
are
real
life
break
ups
so
difficult?
Risky
Dependency
Complex

8. Once
upon
a
time…
@DipeshPala
Why
are
real
life
break
ups
so
difficult?
Risky
Dependency
Complex
Expensive

9. Once
upon
a
time…
@DipeshPala
Why
are
real
life
break
ups
so
difficult?
Risky
Dependency
Complex
Expensive
Lack
of
Confidence

10. @DipeshPala
Why
are
real
life
break
ups
so
difficult?
Risky
Dependency
Complex
Expensive
Lack
of
Confidence
Not
knowing
When
or
How
to
Break
Up!

11. @DipeshPala
Break
Up
Difficulty
Real
Life
User
Stories
Risky
Dependency
Complex
Expensive
Lack
of
Confidence
Not
knowing
When
or
How
to
Break
Up

12. @DipeshPala
CUST-Pmt Story Points: 2
As a Finance AdministratorI want to view Customerpayments made to dateso that I can report on anyoutstanding payments
Priority: medium

13. @DipeshPala
Three
C’s
by
Ron
Jeffries
CARD
CONVERSATION
CONFIRMATION
@DipeshPala

14. User Story Card
This is an invitation to have a
Conversation
that will result in
Confirmation
of the requirements

15. @DipeshPala
I
N
V
E
S
T
Bill
Wake’s
INVEST
Model

16. @DipeshPala
I
N
V
E
S
T
N
D
E
P
E
N
D
E
N
T

17. @DipeshPala
I
N
V
E
S
T
N
D
E
P
E
N
D
E
N
T
E
G
O
T
I
A
B
L
E

18. @DipeshPala
I
N
V
E
S
T
N
D
E
P
E
N
D
E
N
T
E
G
O
T
I
A
B
L
E
A
L
U
A
B
L
E

19. @DipeshPala
I
N
V
E
S
T
N
D
E
P
E
N
D
E
N
T
E
G
O
T
I
A
B
L
E
A
L
U
A
B
L
E
S
T
I
M
A
B
L
E

20. @DipeshPala
I
N
V
E
S
T
N
D
E
P
E
N
D
E
N
T
E
G
O
T
I
A
B
L
E
A
L
U
A
B
L
E
S
T
I
M
A
B
L
E
M
A
L
L

21. @DipeshPala
I
N
V
E
S
T
N
D
E
P
E
N
D
E
N
T
E
G
O
T
I
A
B
L
E
A
L
U
A
B
L
E
S
T
I
M
A
B
L
E
M
A
L
L
E
S
T
A
B
L
E

22. @DipeshPala
Risky
Complex
Lack
of
Confidence

23. @DipeshPala
DIFFICULTIES
EXCUSES

24. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
is
too
Complex
Does
the
story
describe
a
workflow?
Take
a
thin
slice
through
the
workflow
and
enhance
it
later
Break
Up
Tip
#1

25. @DipeshPala
As an online shopper,I want to know the totalamount that will becharged as I selectitems to purchase.

26. @DipeshPala
Code
Write
Acceptance
Tests
Integration
Document
Design
Write
Unit Tests

27. ...when a
product is
removed
...after
checkout
...after
shipping
details are
entered
...when a
product is
added
Calculate the Total Payment Amount...
As an online shopper,I want to know thetotal amount that willbe charged as I selectitems to purchase.
Original
User
Story
Suggested
split
by
slicing
the
workflow:
@DipeshPala

28. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
is
too
Complex
Does
this
story
have
a
simple
core
that
provides
most
of
the
value?
Split
the
story
to
do
the
simplest
option
first
and
enhance
it
later
Break
Up
Tip
#2

29. @DipeshPala

30. @DipeshPala
... calculate
payments
manually
... online
calculator
with what-if
scenarios
... using
an online
spreadsheet
template
... using a
simple online
calculator
Suggested
split
by
simple
/
complex
variations
As a loan applicant,I want to calculatemy mortgage payments
Original
User
Story

31. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
is
too
Complex
Does
this
story
have
a
Complex
User
Interface?
Split
the
story
to
do
a
simple
UI
first
and
enhance
later
Break
Up
Tip
#3

32. @DipeshPala

33. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
is
too
Complex
Does
the
story
include
multiple
operations?
Separate
the
operations
into
separate
stories
Break
Up
Tip
#4

34. As an account holder,I want to Manage
my account details
...read
my account
details
...update
my account
details
...create
my account
Suggested
split
by
separate
operations
...delete
my account
details
Original
User
Story
@DipeshPala

35. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
is
too
Expensive
Does
this
story
become
expensive
due
to
non-­‐functional
requirements?
Split
the
story
to
just
make
it
work
first
and
enhance
it
later
Break
Up
Tip
#5

36. @DipeshPala
If
you
can’t
fly,
Run.
If
you
can’t
run,
Walk.
If
you
can’t
walk,
Crawl.
But,
by
all
means
keep
moving.
-­‐
Dr.
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.

37. “Small
wins
are
something
people
can
experience
pretty
regularly
if
the
work
is
chunked
down
to
manageable
pieces.”
@DipeshPala

38. @DipeshPala
Suggested
split
by
deferring
Performance
or
Quality
Make it work Make it fast!

39. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
is
too
Expensive
Does
this
story
refer
to
multiple
users
doing
similar
things
at
the
same
time?
Split
the
story
to
handle
single
user
first
and
enhance
it
later
Break
Up
Tip
#6

40. Modify to
handle multiple
users
Handle single
user first
(no concurrency
issues)
Suggested
split
by
Single
/
Multiple
users
@DipeshPala

41. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
is
too
Expensive
Does
this
story
have
a
major
effort
regardless
of
how
it
is
split?
Split
the
story
so
that
most
of
the
value
comes
from
the
first
split
Break
Up
Tip
#7

42. @DipeshPala
20%
Result
20%
Effort
80%
Result
80%
Effort

43. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
has
too
many
dependencies
Does
this
story
have
a
variety
of
business
logic?
Split
the
story
to
do
a
subset
of
rules
first,
and
enhance
it
later
Break
Up
Tip
#8

44. Once
upon
a
time…
@DipeshPala

45. @DipeshPala
As a traveller,
I want to search
for flights with
flexible dates.
Original
User
Story
... search forflights x daysbefore/after myselected dates
Suggested
split
by
business
logic
... search for
flights that fallon a weekend
... search forflights that haveno stopovers

46. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
has
too
many
dependencies
Does
this
story
refer
to
data
from
multiple
sources?
Split
the
story
to
handle
data
from
one
source
first
and
enhance
later
Break
Up
Tip
#9

47. @DipeshPala

48. Opportunity
Consideration
Excuse
@DipeshPala
This
story
has
too
many
dependencies
Does
this
story
need
any
investigation
prior
to
being
started?
Split
the
story
so
that
the
research
is
done
first,
with
action
later
Break
Up
Tip
#10

49. Once
upon
a
time…
@DipeshPala
T he
l ongest
jou rney
st art s
w it h
a
sm al l
st ep. . .

50. Complex
Lack
of
Confidence
@DipeshPala

51. Complex
Lack
of
Confidence
@DipeshPala

52. Complex
Lack
of
Confidence
@DipeshPala

53. Lack
of
Confidence
Visibility
of
true
size
Gain
Clarity
@DipeshPala

54. Lack
of
Confidence
Visibility
of
true
size
Gain
Clarity
@DipeshPala

55. Ease
a
transi;on
Help
in
tes;ng
Visibility
of
true
size
Gain
Clarity
@DipeshPala

56.
Q
&
O

57. References
• http://www.richardlawrence.info/2009/10/28/patterns-­‐for-­‐splitting-­‐user-­‐stories
• http://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/topics/user-­‐stories
• http://www.agileforall.com/2010/05/03/new-­‐to-­‐agile-­‐remember-­‐a-­‐user-­‐story-­‐is-­‐more-­‐
than-­‐a-­‐card
• http://xprogramming.com/articles/expcardconversationconfirmation
• http://xp123.com/articles/invest-­‐in-­‐good-­‐stories-­‐and-­‐smart-­‐tasks
• Cohn,
Mike.
2004.
User
Stories
Applied:
For
Agile
Software
Development.
Boston,
MA:
Addison-­‐Wesley.
• Jeffries,
Ron.
2001,
August.
“Essential
XP:
Card,
Conversation,
and
Confirmation.”
XP
Magazine.
• All
images
collected
through
Google
@DipeshPala

58. Thank
You
Contact
details
Dipesh
Pala
Agile
Capability
Leader
IBM
Asia
Pacific
dipeshpala@au1.ibm.com
@DipeshPala
au.linkedin.com/in/dipeshpala
slideshare.net/DipeshPala

59. The Title Of Your Presentation
In Here Over Two Lines If Necessary
Your name
Your organisation
Thanks for listening…
Dipesh Pala
IBM