The document discusses the limitations of traditional user stories in agile practices, emphasizing the need for a more hypothesis-driven approach to product development. It highlights an exercise involving building a structure with spaghetti and marshmallows to illustrate agile principles and the importance of fast feedback loops. Additionally, it advocates for measuring real customer behavior to validate product assumptions and optimize learning cycles.

1. User Stories Suck! Upgrade
from this Old Process

2. David Hawks
Agile Trainer and Coach
CEO of Agile Velocity
@austinagile
david@agilevelocity.com
AgileVelocity.com
Accelerate Agility
Transformation | Training | Coaching

3. © Copyright Agile Velocity, LLC All Rights Reserved
Sources
• Gothelf, Jeff (2013-02-22). Lean UX: Applying
Lean Principles to Improve User Experience (p.
20). O'Reilly Media
• Moves the Needle, Brant Cooper

6. © Copyright Agile Velocity, LLC All Rights Reserved
The Rules
Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure: The winning team is the one that has the tallest
structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means
the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.
The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top
of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team.
Use as Much or as Little of the Kit: The team can use as many or as few of the 20
spaghetti sticks, as much or as little of the string or tape. The team cannot use the paper
bag as part of their structure.
Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the
tape and string to create new structures.
The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs
out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be
disqualified.

22. Agile = Shorten the Feedback Loop
But, to Who?

23. Delivery Focus
• Agile
• Scrum
• Predictability
• Velocity
• Test Automation
• Continuous Integration
• User Stories

24. Build
Feedback?
Idea
Product

25. Build
Feedback?
Idea
Product
How do you
know you are
building the
right thing?

26. Build
Feedback?
Idea
Product
When do you
find out if you
are right?

27. How long is the
Release cycle?
(From Concept to
Customer)
How many features
are released
together?
How is success
determined?
Your
Product
Today

29. How long is the
Release cycle?
(From Concept to
Customer)
How many features
are released
together?
How is success
determined?
Your
Product
Today
In the
Video
What
was the
impact?

30. © Copyright Agile Velocity, LLC All Rights Reserved

31. © Copyright Agile Velocity, LLC All Rights Reserved
Objective
Objective: _____________________
• Key Result 1: ________________
• Key Result 2: ________________
• Key Result 3: ________________

32. It is a
Requirement
Dammit!

33. 64% of the features
we build in the
software industry are
Rarely or Never Used!

34. Discovery
• Lean Startup
• User Story Mapping
• Design Thinking
• Lean UX
• Experiment Driven

35. Turn your Requirement
into a Hypothesis
If we do X then Y% of customers will
behave in way Z

36. © Copyright Agile Velocity, LLC All Rights Reserved
Hypothesis
If we do _____________,
then ___________% of customers
will behave ___________

37. Write down the top
assumptions you have
about your product
related to your
hypothesis.
?
?
?
?
Assumptions

38. AGILE VELOCITY PROPRIETARYCopyright © 2016 Agile Velocity, LLC. All Rights Reserved. AGILE VELOCITY PROPRIETARY
?
?
?
?
High Risk
Low Risk
Sort the Assumptions

39. Build
Idea
Product
Measure
Learn
Data

40. Build
Idea
Product
Measure
Learn
Data
The Goal is to
Shorten the
Learning Cycle

41. © Copyright Agile Velocity, LLC All Rights Reserved
Experiment
Build the absolute minimum required to test your hypothesis, as fast as
possible
• Measure real behavior
• Don’t just confirm, learn
• Include ways to capture surprises

42. © Copyright Agile Velocity, LLC All Rights Reserved
Experiment
We believe that [doing this/building this feature/creating this
experience]
for [these people/personas]
will achieve [this outcome].
We will know this is true when we see [this market feedback,
quantitative measure, or qualitative insight]

43. DeliveryDiscovery