Agile Product Owner

Complete toolkit for agile product ownership - from backlog refinement to sprint delivery. This skill provides Python tools for story generation, comprehensive frameworks for agile ceremonies, and battle-tested templates for user stories and epics.

What This Skill Provides:

• INVEST-compliant user story generator with sprint planning
• Complete agile ceremony frameworks (planning, review, retro)
• Velocity tracking and capacity planning methods
• Story estimation and backlog refinement processes

Best For:

• Breaking epics into deliverable user stories
• Sprint planning and capacity allocation
• Running effective agile ceremonies
• Tracking team velocity and burndown

Quick Start

Generate User Stories

# From sample epic
python scripts/user_story_generator.py

# From custom epic
python scripts/user_story_generator.py epic.json

# Sprint planning (30 points)
python scripts/user_story_generator.py --sprint --capacity 30

Story Quality Check

Use INVEST criteria to validate stories:

• Independent: Can complete without dependencies
• Negotiable: Flexible on implementation
• Valuable: Delivers user/business value
• Estimable: Team can size it
• Small: Fits in one sprint
• Testable: Clear success criteria

See frameworks.md for complete INVEST guidelines.

Core Workflows

1. Epic Breakdown Process

Steps:

1. Define epic with scope and personas
2. Generate stories: python scripts/user_story_generator.py epic.json
3. Review INVEST criteria compliance
4. Refine acceptance criteria
5. Prioritize and estimate with team

Epic JSON Format:

{
  "name": "User Dashboard",
  "description": "Create dashboard for users",
  "personas": ["end_user", "power_user"],
  "scope": [
    "View key metrics and KPIs",
    "Customize dashboard layout",
    "Export dashboard data"
  ],
  "technical_requirements": [
    "Implement caching for performance"
  ]
}

Detailed Process: See frameworks.md for INVEST criteria and backlog refinement.

Templates: See templates.md for epic and user story templates.

2. Sprint Planning Process

Part 1: What Will We Build? (2 hours)

1. Set sprint goal aligned with quarterly OKRs
2. Calculate team capacity (velocity × sprint days)
3. Pull stories from backlog until capacity reached
4. Identify dependencies and risks

Part 2: How Will We Build It? (2 hours)

1. Break stories into technical tasks
2. Estimate task hours
3. Assign initial owners
4. Commit to sprint scope

Sprint Planning Tool:

python scripts/user_story_generator.py epic.json --sprint --capacity 30

Detailed Framework: See frameworks.md for complete sprint planning guide.

Templates: See templates.md for sprint planning agenda.

3. Backlog Refinement Process

Weekly Activity (1 hour mid-sprint):

1. Review upcoming epics
2. Break into user stories
3. Write acceptance criteria
4. Estimate with planning poker
5. Ensure 2-3 sprints of refined backlog

Estimation Scale:

• 1-2 points: Simple (2-4 hours)
• 3-5 points: Moderate (1-3 days)
• 8 points: Complex (3-5 days)
• 13+ points: Too large - needs breakdown

Detailed Process: See frameworks.md for refinement and estimation methods.

Templates: See templates.md for story templates and splitting techniques.

Python Tools

user_story_generator.py

INVEST-compliant story generator with sprint planning.

Key Features:

• Epic breakdown into user stories
• Automatic acceptance criteria generation
• Story point estimation
• INVEST criteria validation
• Sprint capacity planning
• Multiple output formats (text, JSON, CSV)

Usage:

# Basic story generation
python3 scripts/user_story_generator.py epic.json

# Sprint planning
python3 scripts/user_story_generator.py --sprint --capacity 30

# JSON output for Jira import
python3 scripts/user_story_generator.py -o json -f stories.json

# CSV for spreadsheet import
python3 scripts/user_story_generator.py -o csv -f backlog.csv

# Verbose mode (show all stories)
python3 scripts/user_story_generator.py -v

Story Point Estimation:

• 1 pt: Simple, basic, view (2-4 hours)
• 3 pts: Create, edit, update (1 day)
• 5 pts: Moderate complexity (2-3 days)
• 8 pts: Complex, integrate (3-5 days)
• 13 pts: Redesign, refactor (1-2 weeks, needs breakdown)

Complete Documentation: See tools.md for full usage guide, input formats, and integration patterns.

Reference Documentation

Frameworks (frameworks.md)

Comprehensive agile methodologies:

• INVEST Criteria: Detailed guidelines for each criterion
• Sprint Planning: Two-part planning framework
• Sprint Review & Retrospective: Complete ceremony guides
• Daily Standup: Three questions format and anti-patterns
• Backlog Refinement: Estimation and prioritization
• Velocity Tracking: Calculation, trends, burndown charts
• Release Planning: Capacity and timeline forecasting

Templates (templates.md)

Ready-to-use templates:

• User Story Templates: Standard, feature, technical, bug fix formats
• Epic Templates: Complete epic structure with examples
• Sprint Ceremony Agendas: Planning, review, retrospective formats
• Story Splitting Techniques: By workflow, business rules, data entry
• Best Practices: Writing effective stories and avoiding pitfalls

Tools (tools.md)

Python tool documentation:

• user_story_generator.py: Complete usage guide
• Input Formats: Epic JSON structure
• Output Formats: Text, JSON, CSV examples
• Command-Line Options: All flags and parameters
• Integration Patterns: Jira, Linear, ProductBoard workflows
• Troubleshooting: Common issues and solutions
• Best Practices: DO/DON'T guidelines

Integration Points

This toolkit integrates with:

• Project Management: Jira, Linear, Azure DevOps, Asana
• Collaboration: Confluence, Notion, Miro
• Version Control: GitHub Issues, GitLab Issues
• Roadmapping: ProductBoard, Aha!, Roadmunk

See tools.md for detailed integration workflows.

Quick Commands

# Generate stories from sample
python scripts/user_story_generator.py

# Generate from custom epic
python scripts/user_story_generator.py epic.json

# Sprint planning (30 points)
python scripts/user_story_generator.py --sprint --capacity 30

# Export as JSON
python scripts/user_story_generator.py -o json -f stories.json

# Export as CSV
python scripts/user_story_generator.py -o csv -f backlog.csv

# Verbose output (all stories)
python scripts/user_story_generator.py -v