User Stories
User stories are concise descriptions of functionality from the user's perspective. They capture who needs something, what they need, and why - without prescribing how to build it. Good user stories enable teams to break large features into estimable, deliverable increments while maintaining focus on user value.
When to Use
- After PRD approval, when breaking down features for implementation
- During sprint planning to create actionable work items
- When writing tickets for engineering teams
- When communicating requirements to stakeholders in accessible terms
- When prioritizing a backlog based on user value
When NOT to Use
- You need deeper, QA-ready Given/When/Then coverage for a single story or slice -> use
deliver-acceptance-criteria
- You need the feature-wide catalog of boundary conditions and failure scenarios -> use
deliver-edge-cases
- The feature itself is not yet specified -> use
deliver-prd first; stories should trace back to documented requirements
- You want refinement-session outcomes (estimates, scope decisions, open questions) -> use
iterate-refinement-notes
Instructions
When asked to create user stories, follow these steps:
Understand the Feature Context
Review the PRD or feature description. Understand the overall goal, target users, and scope boundaries. User stories should trace back to documented requirements.
Identify User Personas
Determine which users interact with this feature. Each story should be written for a specific persona, not generic "users." Different personas may need different stories for the same feature.
Break Down by User Goal
Decompose the feature into distinct user goals. Each story should deliver a complete, valuable capability - something the user can actually do when the story is done.
Write Story Statements
Use the format: "As a [persona], I want [action] so that [benefit]." The benefit clause is critical - it explains why this matters and helps prioritize.
Define Acceptance Criteria
Write specific, testable criteria using Given/When/Then format. Acceptance criteria define "done" - if all criteria pass, the story is complete.
Apply INVEST Criteria
Validate each story against INVEST: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable. Revise stories that don't meet these criteria.
Add Context and Notes
Include relevant design references, technical considerations, and dependencies. These help implementers understand the full picture.
Output Format
Use the template in references/TEMPLATE.md to structure the output. A complete output carries, per story: Story Header; User Story Statement; Context & Background; Acceptance Criteria; Design Notes; Technical Notes; Dependencies; Out of Scope; and Open Questions where any remain. Multi-story documents nest these sections under one heading per story, as the example shows.
Quality Checklist
Before finalizing, verify:
Examples
See references/EXAMPLE.md for a completed example.
1---
2name: deliver-user-stories
3description: Generates user stories in the standard persona, action, benefit story format from product requirements or feature descriptions. Use when breaking a feature into stories for sprint planning, writing tickets, or communicating scope to engineering. For testable Given/When/Then acceptance criteria on a story, use deliver-acceptance-criteria; for boundary and failure scenarios, use deliver-edge-cases.
4license: Apache-2.0
5metadata:
6 phase: deliver
7 version: "2.1.0"
8 updated: 2026-06-10
9 category: specification
10 frameworks: [triple-diamond, lean-startup, design-thinking]
11 author: product-on-purpose
12---
13
14<!-- PM-Skills | https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills | Apache 2.0 -->
15# User Stories
16
17User stories are concise descriptions of functionality from the user's perspective. They capture who needs something, what they need, and why - without prescribing how to build it. Good user stories enable teams to break large features into estimable, deliverable increments while maintaining focus on user value.
18
19## When to Use
20
21- After PRD approval, when breaking down features for implementation
22- During sprint planning to create actionable work items
23- When writing tickets for engineering teams
24- When communicating requirements to stakeholders in accessible terms
25- When prioritizing a backlog based on user value
26
27## When NOT to Use
28
29- You need deeper, QA-ready Given/When/Then coverage for a single story or slice -> use `deliver-acceptance-criteria`
30- You need the feature-wide catalog of boundary conditions and failure scenarios -> use `deliver-edge-cases`
31- The feature itself is not yet specified -> use `deliver-prd` first; stories should trace back to documented requirements
32- You want refinement-session outcomes (estimates, scope decisions, open questions) -> use `iterate-refinement-notes`
33
34## Instructions
35
36When asked to create user stories, follow these steps:
37
381. **Understand the Feature Context**
39 Review the PRD or feature description. Understand the overall goal, target users, and scope boundaries. User stories should trace back to documented requirements.
40
412. **Identify User Personas**
42 Determine which users interact with this feature. Each story should be written for a specific persona, not generic "users." Different personas may need different stories for the same feature.
43
443. **Break Down by User Goal**
45 Decompose the feature into distinct user goals. Each story should deliver a complete, valuable capability - something the user can actually do when the story is done.
46
474. **Write Story Statements**
48 Use the format: "As a [persona], I want [action] so that [benefit]." The benefit clause is critical - it explains why this matters and helps prioritize.
49
505. **Define Acceptance Criteria**
51 Write specific, testable criteria using Given/When/Then format. Acceptance criteria define "done" - if all criteria pass, the story is complete.
52
536. **Apply INVEST Criteria**
54 Validate each story against INVEST: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable. Revise stories that don't meet these criteria.
55
567. **Add Context and Notes**
57 Include relevant design references, technical considerations, and dependencies. These help implementers understand the full picture.
58
59## Output Format
60
61Use the template in `references/TEMPLATE.md` to structure the output. A complete output carries, per story: Story Header; User Story Statement; Context & Background; Acceptance Criteria; Design Notes; Technical Notes; Dependencies; Out of Scope; and Open Questions where any remain. Multi-story documents nest these sections under one heading per story, as the example shows.
62
63## Quality Checklist
64
65Before finalizing, verify:
66
67- [ ] Each story follows "As a... I want... so that..." format
68- [ ] Stories are independent (can be built in any order)
69- [ ] Acceptance criteria use Given/When/Then format
70- [ ] Each criterion is testable (someone can verify pass/fail)
71- [ ] Stories are small enough to complete in one sprint
72- [ ] No implementation details in the story statement
73- [ ] Benefit clause explains why this matters to the user
74
75## Examples
76
77See `references/EXAMPLE.md` for a completed example.
product-on-purpose