User Story Mapping Workshop

Test big ideas in just 5 days. Apply Google Ventures' proven methodology to go from problem to validated prototype without months of development. Use when: **New product concepts** that need validation before building; **Big feature decisions** with significant investment required; **Stuck teams** needing to break through analysis paralysis; **Startup pivots** when direction is uncertain; **High-risk bets** where failure is expensive

Create a user story map that lays out activities, steps, tasks, and release slices. Use when planning a workflow, backlog, or MVP around the user journey.

Plan a sprint by refining backlog items, defining a sprint goal, calculating team capacity, selecting items, and decomposing them into tasks. Produces a SPRINT-PLAN.md with goal, selected items, task breakdown, and capacity allocation. Use when starting a new sprint in a Scrum or agile project, re-planning after significant scope change, transitioning from ad-hoc work to structured sprint cadence, or after backlog grooming when items are ready for inclusion.

Create product backlog items in Why-What-Acceptance format — independent, valuable, testable items with strategic context. Use when writing structured backlog items, breaking features into work items, or using the WWA format.

Plan a sprint with capacity estimation, story selection, dependency mapping, and risk identification. Use when preparing for sprint planning, estimating team capacity, selecting stories, or balancing sprint scope against velocity.

Escape the build trap and endless backlogs. Use Basecamp's methodology to ship meaningful work in 6-week cycles with fixed time, variable scope. Use when: **Product planning** to replace endless backlogs; **Feature development** with clear time boundaries; **Team autonomy** when you want self-directed teams; **Scope management** when projects tend to balloon; **Startup development** with limited resources