What do story points actually mean?

Introduction

In the pursuit of better understanding and aligning their estimation process, my team conducted an informal workshop to delve into the meaning of story points during their refinement ceremonies. I feel its good to hold these informal workshops after big team changes to ensure the team are all considering similar elements.

How did we do this

Quite simply, we put stickies on a whiteboard. I asked everyone to create a sticky for each thing they consider. Grouping similar ones together we found that they comfortably fit into 5 distinct themes.

The 5 Themes

1. Complexity: Evaluate the complexity of the task. Consider how many components or moving parts are involved, how interrelated they are, and how difficult it would be to implement the changes.
2. Effort: Estimate the effort required to complete the task. Take into account the time and resources needed to implement the task, including development, testing, and any potential roadblocks.
3. Risks and Uncertainties: Assess any potential risks or uncertainties associated with the task. Tasks with higher uncertainty may warrant higher story points to account for the additional effort required to handle unforeseen challenges.
4. Dependencies: Consider whether the task has dependencies on other tasks, teams, or external factors. Dependencies can add complexity and may impact the overall effort needed to complete the task.
5. Experience and Expertise: Factor in the experience and expertise of the development team. If the team is experienced with similar tasks, they may be able to handle it more efficiently and require fewer story points.

Conclusion

By identifying these five themes, the team has paved the way for a more structured and cohesive estimation process. They can now approach their refinement ceremonies with a clearer understanding of story points, fostering better collaboration and more accurate project planning. As they continue to refine and improve their estimation practices, the team will likely enhance their overall productivity and deliver successful outcomes in their projects.