Sprint Planning

Sprint Planning

User Story Writing

Format

As a [type of user],
I want [goal or action],
So that [benefit or value].

Acceptance Criteria Format (Gherkin)

Given [initial context or precondition],
When [action or event occurs],
Then [expected outcome].

User Story Example

I want to reset my password via email, So that I can regain access to my account if I forget my credentials.

Acceptance Criteria: Given I am on the login page, When I click "Forgot Password" and enter my email, Then I should receive a password reset email within 2 minutes.

Given I click the reset link in the email, When I enter a new valid password, Then my password should be updated and I should be logged in.

### Story Quality Checklist (INVEST)
- **I**ndependent — can be developed without depending on other stories
- **N**egotiable — details can be discussed
- **V**aluable — delivers value to a user or stakeholder
- **E**stimable — team can estimate it
- **S**mall — completable in one sprint
- **T**estable — acceptance criteria are verifiable

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## Story Point Estimation

### Scale Reference
| Points | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | XS | Trivial change, well-understood, < 2 hours |
| 3 | S | Small, clear scope, half a day |
| 5 | M | Medium complexity, 1–2 days |
| 8 | L | Complex, cross-cutting, 3–4 days |
| 13 | XL | Very complex or uncertain, needs breakdown |

### Estimation Rules
- If a story is 13 points, break it down into smaller stories
- Points represent **complexity + uncertainty**, not just time
- Estimate as a team — avoid anchoring bias (don't share estimates until everyone reveals simultaneously)
- Use historical velocity to validate sprint capacity

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## Sprint Goal Formula (FOCUS Model)

A good sprint goal is:
- **F**un — memorable and motivating title
- **O**utcome-oriented — what value is delivered, not what tasks are done
- **C**ollaborative — agreed upon by the whole team
- **U**ltimate — answers "why are we doing this sprint?"
- **S**ingular — one clear goal, not a list

### Sprint Goal Example
By end of sprint, users can sign up, log in, and access their dashboard —
giving us a working auth system to build all future features on.

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Standup / DSU Format

Structure

Yesterday: [What I completed]
Today: [What I'm working on]
Blockers: [Anything blocking me — or "none"]

Example (Taglish style for Filipino dev teams)

Good afternoon. 
Yesterday, na-finish ko yung unit tests para sa [feature]. 
Today, mag-a-address ako ng review comments sa [PR] tapos mag-s-start ng [next task].
Wala naman blocker at the moment.
That's all from me, [name].

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Backlog Grooming

Grooming Checklist (per story)

• [ ] Story is written in proper user story format
• [ ] Acceptance criteria are defined and testable
• [ ] Story is estimated
• [ ] Dependencies are identified and documented
• [ ] Story is small enough to complete in one sprint
• [ ] Definition of Done is clear

Prioritization Framework (MoSCoW)

| Priority | Meaning | |---|---| | Must Have | Critical for this sprint/release | | Should Have | Important but not critical | | Could Have | Nice to have if time permits | | Won't Have | Out of scope for now |

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Sprint Retrospective

Format (Start / Stop / Continue)

START: Things we should start doing
STOP: Things we should stop doing  
CONTINUE: Things that are working well

AI-Assisted Retrospective Prompt

Given these sprint outcomes: [outcomes]
And these blockers encountered: [blockers]
Generate a Start/Stop/Continue retrospective with:
- 2-3 items per category
- Actionable items, not vague complaints
- One owner assigned per action item

---

Onboarding Documentation

New Developer Onboarding Checklist

## Day 1
- [ ] Dev environment setup (see README)
- [ ] Access to all required systems (GitHub, Jira, Slack, cloud console)
- [ ] First PR — fix a small bug or add a test

## Week 1
- [ ] Understand the domain and architecture (see ARCHITECTURE.md)
- [ ] Shadow a code review
- [ ] Complete first solo story (1–3 points)

## Month 1
- [ ] Own a feature end-to-end
- [ ] Contribute to architecture discussion
- [ ] Give feedback in retrospective

Repository Intelligence File (CLAUDE.md / copilot-instructions.md)

Every repo should have an onboarding file that answers:

1. What does this project do?
2. How do I set it up locally?
3. What are the coding conventions?
4. How do I run tests?
5. How do I deploy?
6. Who do I ask for help?

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: jamestorrevillas
• Source: jamestorrevillas/dev-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.