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User Story Sizing

When it comes to agile user story sizing, there are two common methods: using points and using hours. Using points is a more popular method, as it's more flexible, easier to estimate, and encourages relative sizing.

Relative sizing is the process of comparing a new user story to previous ones to determine its size, based on its complexity and effort required. The points-based sizing method assigns points to each user story, based on its size, complexity, and estimated effort. These points are not absolute measurements of time, but rather relative indicators of the level of effort required.

Example of Relative Sizing:

Let's say we have a user story for a project that involves creating a login page for a website. We can assign points to this user story, based on its complexity and effort required. Here's an example:

  • A login page with basic functionality - 3 points

  • A login page with advanced functionality (e.g., multi-factor authentication) - 5 points

  • A login page with basic functionality and integration with a social media platform - 8 points

By using relative sizing, we can easily compare this new user story to previous ones and estimate its effort more accurately.

Epics, Features, User Stories, and Tasks:

In Agile project management, Epics, Features, User Stories, and Tasks are hierarchical components that make up the project scope.

  • Epics are large, high-level goals or objectives that are broken down into smaller components.

  • Features are collections of user stories that make up a specific functionality of the product.

  • User stories describe the requirements or needs of the user, typically in a short and simple statement.

  • Tasks are specific activities that need to be completed to accomplish a user story or feature.

To summarize, user story sizing using relative sizing with points is a popular and effective method for estimating effort and complexity in agile project management. Understanding the difference between Epics, Features, User Stories, and Tasks is also essential for breaking down project scope into manageable and achievable pieces.

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