How do you prioritize user stories in your backlog and sprint planning?

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User stories are a common way of capturing software requirements from the perspective of the end user. They help developers understand the value and functionality of a feature, and how it should work. But how do you prioritize user stories in your backlog and sprint planning? Here are some tips to help you decide which stories to work on first, and which ones to defer or discard.

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Shivangi Jaiswal

Android Engineer | Kotlin, Java | Jetpack Compose | TDD | CI CD | MVVM
Alexander Korobeinykov

Senior IT Business Analyst at Erste Digital

1 Use the MoSCoW method

The MoSCoW method is a simple framework for prioritizing user stories based on four categories: Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have. Must have stories are essential for the product to deliver value and meet the minimum viable product (MVP) criteria. Should have stories are important but not critical, and can be postponed if necessary. Could have stories are nice to have, but not essential, and can be added if there is enough time and resources. Won't have stories are out of scope, irrelevant, or too costly, and should be removed from the backlog.

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Shivangi Jaiswal

Android Engineer | Kotlin, Java | Jetpack Compose | TDD | CI CD | MVVM
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Adopt a "value and effort" matrix. Start by defining the business value of each user story, considering how it impacts user satisfaction, revenue, or strategic goals. Assess the effort required to complete each story, including complexity and resources needed. Plot these stories on a matrix with value on one axis and effort on the other. Focus on stories with high value and low effort for immediate attention. Incorporate feedback from stakeholders and team members to refine priorities. Update the matrix as new information or changes arise, so your backlog reflects the most impactful and feasible tasks for each sprint.

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2 Apply the INVEST criteria

The INVEST criteria are a set of quality attributes that user stories should meet to be effective and manageable. INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. Independent stories are not dependent on other stories, and can be delivered in any order. Negotiable stories are flexible and open to changes and feedback. Valuable stories deliver clear benefits to the user or the business. Estimable stories can be estimated in terms of effort and complexity. Small stories can be completed within a single sprint or iteration. Testable stories can be verified and validated against acceptance criteria.

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3 Consider the business value and the effort

Another way of prioritizing user stories is to compare their business value and their effort. Business value is the expected benefit or impact of a user story on the user or the business. Effort is the amount of work and resources required to implement a user story. A common technique is to use a matrix or a chart to plot the user stories along these two dimensions, and then rank them according to their relative position. For example, user stories that have high business value and low effort are usually the highest priority, while user stories that have low business value and high effort are usually the lowest priority.

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Alexander Korobeinykov

Senior IT Business Analyst at Erste Digital
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Depending on the stage of the project different criteria may be applied. Early in the project high business value and low effort could be the major decision factors. Later, as the software system matures, the focus might change in the direction of technical debt, improvements and critical bug fixing. The need for technical overhaul inevitably grows together with the size and complexity of the system. It might be hard to showcase the business value of such activities, which makes it even more complicated to assign proper priorities to those tasks. In such cases, a fixed part of each iteration can be dedicated to small bug fixes and technical improvements. This allows to keep the predictability of business value delivered by the team.

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4 Involve the stakeholders and the team

Prioritizing user stories is not a one-time or a one-person activity. It requires constant communication and collaboration among the stakeholders and the team. Stakeholders are the people who have an interest or a role in the product, such as customers, users, sponsors, managers, or regulators. They can provide feedback, insights, and preferences on the user stories and their value. The team is the group of people who are responsible for developing and delivering the product, such as developers, testers, designers, or analysts. They can provide estimates, suggestions, and risks on the user stories and their effort. By involving both groups, you can ensure that your prioritization is aligned with the needs and expectations of both the product and the project.

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5 Review and adjust regularly

Prioritizing user stories is not a static or a final process. It is a dynamic and an ongoing process that requires regular review and adjustment. As the product evolves, new user stories may emerge, existing user stories may change, and the priorities may shift. Therefore, it is important to revisit your backlog and your sprint planning frequently, and update your prioritization accordingly. You can use tools such as agile boards, backlogs, or burn-down charts to track and visualize your progress and your changes. You can also use feedback loops, such as demos, reviews, or retrospectives, to gather and incorporate feedback from the stakeholders and the team.

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How do you prioritize user stories in your backlog and sprint planning?

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3

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1 Use the MoSCoW method

2 Apply the INVEST criteria

3 Consider the business value and the effort

4 Involve the stakeholders and the team

5 Review and adjust regularly

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