User Story Skill

Create clear, actionable user stories following industry best practices.

Guidelines

• Use the standard user story format: "As a [type of user], I want [goal] so that [reason/benefit]"
• Keep titles concise and descriptive
• Write a brief 1-2 sentence summary explaining the context
• Be concise - avoid over-doing it with too much detail
• Focus on user value and outcomes, not implementation details

Structure

Use the template provided in template.md to ensure consistency:

1. Title: Brief, descriptive headline starting with "As a..."
2. Summary: 1-2 sentences providing context
3. Task List (optional): Use for highly technical, non-user-facing work
4. Acceptance Criteria (optional): Use for user-facing stories to define what "done" looks like

Important: Stories typically have EITHER a task list OR acceptance criteria, not both. Choose based on the story type:

Best Practices

• Keep it simple: Don't over-engineer the story with unnecessary detail
• Make acceptance criteria specific and measurable (when included)
• Use "Given-When-Then" format sparingly and only when it adds clarity
• Keep stories focused on a single piece of value
• For task lists, list only essential implementation steps
• For acceptance criteria, list only what's needed to verify completion

Examples

User-Facing Story (Acceptance Criteria)

Title: As a user, I want to reset my password via email

Summary: Users who forget their passwords need a secure way to regain access to their accounts.

Acceptance Criteria:

• User can request password reset from login page
• System sends reset link to registered email
• Reset link expires after 24 hours
• User can set new password using valid link

Technical Story (Task List)

Title: As a developer, I want to upgrade the database schema

Summary: We need to migrate from the old schema to support new feature requirements.

Task List:

• Create migration script
• Test migration on staging environment
• Schedule maintenance window
• Execute migration on production
• Verify data integrity

Balanced Story (Both - Use Sparingly)

Title: As an admin, I want to export user data to CSV

Summary: Administrators need to extract user data for reporting and compliance purposes.

Task List:

• Implement CSV export endpoint
• Add data filtering options

Acceptance Criteria:

• Admin can select which fields to export
• System handles 10,000+ users
• File downloads automatically when ready
• Export includes timestamp and admin username in filename