In the previous post, I started exploring the way many Agile methodologies and tools structure work items as hierarchical to-do lists and the conseque

Do epics tell the story?

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2024-09-19 22:30:03

In the previous post, I started exploring the way many Agile methodologies and tools structure work items as hierarchical to-do lists and the consequences of it. I looked at the way the structure encouraged a short term completion mindset and made it harder for teams to keep aligned to the product vision. I said we would be looking at some fundamental concepts to see what opportunities for improvement might exist.

The second opportunity we are going to look at considers the role of language and vocabulary. It goes without saying that words are important and our choice of words can affect how well our message is received. So let’s take a look at some language constructs common in Agile today.

Metaphors are a literary tool that are used to help understand a complex topic by relating it to something that is already familiar. In technology, metaphors often become abstractions and show up in code, in patterns and, as it turns out, in the tools we use. In all cases, they are supposed to help understand a specific topic.

Epics and stories are the go-to metaphor for planning software development activities today. It is a concept that has been part of the agile vocabulary since the early days and is familiar to all developers, project managers and product managers.