Requirements, stories & service design · Core
User story
Also called: story, agile story
ELI5
A simple statement of what a user needs and why.
Used in conversation
“The user story is too broad for one sprint.”
Definition
A short requirement framed around a user, need and intended benefit.
Here “User story” means: A short requirement framed around a user, need and intended benefit.
Pitch context
You will see “User story” in product strategy decks, roadmaps, experiments and architecture reviews when the discussion reaches requirements, stories & service design.
Why it matters: It helps a reader interpret requirements, stories & service design without confusing the measure, decision, role or evidence being discussed.
Sources & evidence · 7
Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.
- Strategyzer — Business Model Canvas resourcesSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- Strategyzer — Value Proposition Canvas resourcesSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- LEANSTACK — Lean CanvasSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division — Herfindahl-Hirschman IndexSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Census Bureau — Business and economy dataSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- Scrum Guides — The Scrum Guide — official current versionSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- National Institute of Standards and Technology — Computer Security Resource Center GlossarySupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16