Listen "User Stories Gone Wrong"
Episode Synopsis
We respond to an article on user stories that has some good points (user stories are prompts for conversations) and, in our view, misses the mark on others (claiming that tasks are better than user stories for technical work). This leads us to propose "human stories" which may not involve traditional users but do involve humans who are affected by the software we're building in some way (partners, investors, regulators, and more). Finally, we apply these ideas to answer a question from a listener on handling complex technical changes with user stories.
SHOW LINKS:
User stories article: https://www.lullabot.com/articles/not-everything-is-a-user-story
Rant on non-functional requirements: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/squirrels-rant
Agile Manifesto episode on face-to-face interaction: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/efficiency-effectiveness-through-face-to-face-conversation
---
Our new book, Agile Conversations, is out now! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can order your copy and get a free video when you join our mailing list!
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at [email protected]
SHOW LINKS:
User stories article: https://www.lullabot.com/articles/not-everything-is-a-user-story
Rant on non-functional requirements: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/squirrels-rant
Agile Manifesto episode on face-to-face interaction: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/efficiency-effectiveness-through-face-to-face-conversation
---
Our new book, Agile Conversations, is out now! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can order your copy and get a free video when you join our mailing list!
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us at [email protected]
More episodes of the podcast Troubleshooting Agile
Gene Kim on Vibe Coding Part II
17/12/2025
Gene Kim on Vibe Coding Part I
10/12/2025
Montage vs Marginal
03/12/2025
Three Types of Learning Part II
26/11/2025
Three Types of Learning Part I
19/11/2025
Greatest Hits: The Systems Thinking Rant
14/11/2025
A New Boat Every Day
05/11/2025
Systems Thinking Rant Redux Part III
29/10/2025
Systems Thinking Rant Redux Part II
22/10/2025
Systems Thinking Rant Redux Part I
15/10/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.