Split User Stories with Hamburger Method
User Story Mapping proposed by Jeff Patton is an effective method of visualising the multiple Minimum Viable Products (MVP) residing within our Product Backlog.
However, it is not always easy to map User Stories simply based on the Business Value delivered collectively. Inexperienced teams and tech-focused teams may find it harder to visualise and agree upon the MVP way of mapping stories.
In order to overcome this limitation, in 2012, Gojko Adzic proposed a new way of splitting (not mapping) the User Stories called “Hamburger Method” - based on the technical steps involved. Now, since the split is made based on technical steps, technical teams and inexperienced teams who have just entered Agile will find it easy to follow.
‘Story’ and ‘Epic’ are used in similar meaning in this entire write-up. In real-time, Epic is a collection of stories. Idea is to take a Story that is the smallest in terms of Business value, but still can be sliced further into smaller pieces in terms of its technical features.
TL-DR: The Hamburger Method proposes preparing a list of all the tasks and alternatives that the Agile Scrum team should execute to mark the User Story as ‘Done’. And then, the sandwiched tasks are ordered based on business, quality and effort aspects. Then the team will finish the hamburger by taking one-bite-at-a-time and start with a new one.
What is this fancy term — Hamburger Method?
As the name says it, we are gonna “sandwich the required ingredients” needed for appeasing our hunger and then take “one-bite-at-a-time”.
In 2012, Gojko Adzic has proposed below steps to implement the Hamburger Method :
1. List down the tasks
2. List down the possible alternatives (options) for the tasks
3. Combine results (remove duplicates)
4. Trim the hamburger based on importance, effort and quality aspects
5. Grab the first bite! (decide on how deep each bite is!)
6. Grab another bite and continue…
Why I love the Hamburger Method?
- It helps to make the team to converse and understand to be on the same page
- Actual implementation can be easily measured and understood since the stories are technical in nature
- Inexperienced teams will happily break down the story into smaller technical deliverables, but splitting based on business value might be difficult (at least in initial stages)
- More of a Technical Roadmap at each Epic level. Helps to visualise the technical story implementation timeline.
- Helps team members to come up with multiple alternatives for each technical feature, leading to fruitful discussions and trade-offs.
When to use the Hamburger Method?
- When your team is new to Agile (from waterfall)
- When majority of your team has Developers
- When the Product Owner has already splitted/mapped the User Stories from Business Value perspective and still needs to be splitted further for Dev team to pick it up
- When the User Stories are actual technical implementations
When NOT to use Hamburger Method?
- When the original Business story (Epic) itself is small enough to be picked up in Planning. Note: Never complicate simple things.
- When there are not many technical alternatives available for each “vertical bite”.
- When the Agile team is well-matured in terms of Story Mapping.
- When the Stories are not (less) technical in nature.
Summary
We all are traversing in different wavelengths in Agile Transformation Journeys to full-fill the major Agile motto — “Delivering incremental working software”. There would be occasions where the team has to pick-up a method that suits its Agile maturity stage. ‘Hamburger Method’ is one such method that suits inexperienced and technical agile teams. Always keep in mind that never use a model for the sake of using it. Happy scrumming!
