Breaking Down Epics

5 minutes 5 Questions

An essential part of backlog management is breaking down larger backlog items, or 'epics', into manageable, implementable parts, usually referred to as 'user stories' or 'tasks'. This makes planning, estimation, and execution far more manageable and reduces uncertainty. Each story should be a self-contained piece of work that can be developed, tested, and implemented independently while delivering value. This process is usually handled by the product owner and the Scrum team during product backlog refinement sessions.

Guide for Breaking Down Epics - PSM-I Exam

What it is:
Breaking Down Epics refers to the 'splitting' or 'partitioning' of a larger user story (epic) into smaller, manageable user stories. This is done because an epic is too big to be worked on in a single sprint.

Why it is important:
Breaking Down Epics promotes the incremental delivery of product features, facilitates better estimation of work, reduces complexity, and enables faster feedback from stakeholders.

How it works:
The Product Owner, in collaboration with the Scrum Team, breaks down epics into smaller user stories based on value delivery, functional components, or other logical reasoning. Each user story contains a discrete unit of value that can be developed, tested, and delivered independently of others.

Answering Questions in an Exam:
Understand that breaking down epics is driven by the need to deliver value in a more incremental, manageable way. Refer to the INVEST criteria (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable) when explaining how an epic can be broken down.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Breaking Down Epics:
1. Use real-world examples to illustrate your understanding of the concept.
2. Emphasize the benefits of breaking down epics such as constant feedback, improved accuracy in estimation, and incremental value delivery.
3. Remember that breaking down epics involves team collaboration and is guided by value delivery.
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PSM I - Breaking Down Epics Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Breaking Down Epics

Question 1

You're a Scrum Master in a company developing a new mobile app. The product owner presents an epic to redesign the app's main interface. You notice the epic is too vast to estimate. What should your first step be?

Correct Answer: Work with the team and product owner to split the epic into smaller, more manageable user stories.

As a Scrum Master, seeing an epic that is too vast to be estimated should signal the need for breaking it down further. Instead of working on the epic immediately without any breakdown, which is not in line with agile methodology, or asking the product owner for a more detailed design, it would be more beneficial to first work with the team and the product owner to split the epic into smaller, achievable user stories. This process makes it easier to estimate and manage the work involved, enhances the understanding of the task, and allows for a more controlled development process with room for evaluation and course-correction if needed. Estimating the epic based solely on past experience is also not recommended, since every epic is unique and could involve varying levels of complexities that cannot simply be assumed based on past work.

Question 2

You're a Scrum Master on a team developing a complex accounting system. The product owner presents an epic that involves implementing a new Tax Calculation module. After considering the overall complexity, you believe it's too voluminous for a single sprint. How should you approach this problem?

Correct Answer: Collaborate with the Product Owner to break down the epic into smaller, testable user stories that can fit into a sprint.

The correct answer utilizes the concept of breaking down larger work items into smaller, more manageable pieces, which is a core practice in Scrum for dealing with complexity and ensuring work can be completed within a sprint. Postponing the epic does not actively address the immediate issue of sprint planning and overlooks the benefits of iterative development. Adopting a Kanban system for managing the epic introduces a hybrid approach that can dilute the focus and benefits of Scrum. Increasing the sprint length to accommodate larger work items goes against Scrum principles of maintaining consistent sprint lengths to ensure predictability and facilitate empirical process control.

Question 3

Your Scrum team is working on a new user interface. Your product owner presents an epic related to the design and implementation. As a Scrum Master, what is the most appropriate first action?

Correct Answer: Help your team break down the epic into smaller, manageable user stories.

Breaking down the epic into smaller, manageable user stories is crucial for effective backlog management and to ensure the Development Team can understand, estimate, and implement the work in a manner that allows for incremental delivery and feedback. Suggesting to estimate the entire epic, recommending prioritizing it without breaking down, or reassessing its viability with stakeholders before splitting it, are approaches that may delay or complicate the process without providing the immediate actionable steps needed for backlog refinement and Sprint Planning.

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Other Product Backlog Management concepts

Definition of ReadyMinimum Viable Product (MVP)Product Backlog Item (PBI)Product Backlog PrioritizationProduct Backlog RefinementRefinement SessionsRelease PlanningSizing User StoriesUser Story Mapping
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