Slicing Stories Vertically vs. Horizontally

06/05/2024 18 min Episodio 85

Listen "Slicing Stories Vertically vs. Horizontally"

Episode Synopsis

Should we be slicing stories vertically or horizontally? Does it even matter?
 
Should we organize the requirements in our user stories by architectural layers or by small units of functionality? 
 
Both approaches divide the work up into smaller batches, but what good are pieces of software if they're not actually usable? That's what happens when we slice stories horizontally (e.g. a user story to build a non-functional screen). 
 
Horizontal slicing brings on risks to the organization, like:

Prematurely prescribing an implementation
Lengthening the feedback loop
Delaying value delivery
Misaligning user story delivery metrics

Vertical slicing, however, allows our teams to be agile by ensuring the delivery of functional, valuable capabilities driven by user needs and feedback