What is a User Story?
Answer
A User Story is a lightweight format for capturing a product requirement from the user's perspective. The classic template: "As a [type of user], I want [some goal] so that [some reason]." Example: "As a registered customer, I want to save my shipping address so that I don't have to re-enter it on future orders." User Stories are NOT a Scrum requirement — the Scrum Guide doesn't mention them — but they are widely used as a practical format for Product Backlog Items. Good user stories follow the INVEST criteria: Independent (can be developed independently), Negotiable (details are negotiable, not a contract), Valuable (delivers value to the user), Estimable (can be sized), Small (fits in a Sprint), Testable (has clear acceptance criteria). User Stories are completed with Acceptance Criteria that define when the story is done from the user's perspective.