Defining the feature set
The product backlog contains a list of feature requirements. The requirements are written as epics which can be equated with categories. Through subsequent refinement, epics are broken into manageable sizes with user story syntax. The product owner will be responsible for refining the backlog throughout the life of the project to ensure that the user stories are well defined are correctly prioritized.
As user stories are defined it is important to evaluate whether a feature adds value to the end project, is a nice to have or is a dependency that will minimize technical debt. Nice to haves are usually prioritized lower in the backlog because there is not a direct correlation with incremental value to the business owner.
Features will evolve over the life of a project. This is where refining at multiple stages is important for the product owner. There may be a realization that a user story is too large to deliver in one sprint. In this case, that user story should be broken into smaller increments. The value of the feature is maintained by releases that are immediately usable. As a project progresses, Agile’s inspect and adapt model, makes it feasible to re-evaluate features and determine those that may no longer be required. Scope definition is flexible and can be adjusted to meet the needs of the market and learnings from earlier sprint deliveries. The product owner will group updated user stories into feature sets for effective release management.
Recommended Further Reading
The following materials may assist you in order to get the most out of this course: