User Stories

---
name: User Stories
description: Capture needs from the user perspective.
---
# User Stories

A user story reframes a feature as a need: who has it, what they want, and why. The "why" is the part that lets the team find a better solution than the obvious one.

## Form
**As a [specific user], I want [capability], so that [value].**

- The **so that** is the most important clause. Without it, the team optimizes the capability, not the value. Often the right solution isn't the capability first requested.
- Add **acceptance criteria** as concrete examples ("Given an empty cart, when I click checkout, then I see 'your cart is empty'"). Examples catch ambiguity that prose hides.

## Splitting
Big stories can be split along:
- Workflow step (research → buy → receive).
- Data type (simple cases first, complex later).
- Device/interface (web then mobile).
Each slice ships value on its own.