How can you involve stakeholders and users in developing user stories?

1 Identify the stakeholders and users

The first step to involve stakeholders and users in developing user stories is to identify who they are and what role they play in the project. Stakeholders are anyone who has an interest or influence in the product, such as sponsors, managers, customers, or regulators. Users are the people who will actually use the product, such as employees, clients, or consumers. You can use different techniques to identify them, such as stakeholder mapping, personas, or user interviews. The goal is to understand their goals, expectations, pain points, and preferences, and how they relate to the product vision.

2 Invite them to participate in workshops

Once you have identified the stakeholders and users, you can invite them to participate in workshops where you can collaboratively create and refine user stories. Workshops are interactive sessions where you can use various tools and methods to elicit, analyze, and prioritize user needs, such as brainstorming, story mapping, user story templates, or acceptance criteria. Workshops allow you to engage with stakeholders and users in a creative and productive way, and to get their input and feedback in real time. They also help you build trust and alignment among the participants, and foster a shared understanding of the product scope.

4 Review and validate user stories

The final step to involve stakeholders and users in developing user stories is to review and validate them throughout the development process. Reviewing and validating user stories means checking that they meet the quality standards, the acceptance criteria, and the user expectations, and that they deliver value to the product. You can use different techniques to review and validate user stories, such as demos, testing, or user feedback sessions. Reviewing and validating user stories with stakeholders and users allows you to verify that you are building the right product, and to identify and resolve any issues or gaps that may arise.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?