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INVEST Criteria In Agile

This article describes the INVEST criteria in Agile.

Purpose

The INVEST criteria help determine which features, user stories, or tasks provide the most value and should be prioritized in the product backlog.

What Does INVEST Mean?

INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable.

Independent

Each user story should be as independent of others as possible. This makes it easier to prioritize and avoids dependencies that could slow down development. If a story cannot stand alone, breaking it down further may be necessary.

Negotiable

Stories should be flexible and not overly detailed upfront. The details can be discussed and refined during planning or grooming sessions, allowing room for collaboration and adjustments without affecting the core requirement.

Valuable

A story must deliver value to the end-user or the stakeholders. This can be direct (user-facing functionality) or indirect (supporting infrastructure improvements).

Estimable

Stories should be clear enough to estimate the effort involved, whether in story points, hours, or another metric. If a story is too vague or large to estimate, it might need more refinement or breakdown.

Small

Keeping stories small promotes quick feedback and delivery, supporting the Agile iterative nature. Smaller stories are easier to estimate, develop, and test, reducing risk and enabling the team to deliver value incrementally.

Testable

Each story should have clear acceptance criteria or requirements that can be validated. Testable stories allow for quality checks to verify that the story meets the Definition of Done Acceptance tests to clarify what success looks like for that story.

Example

Consider the following user story: -

As a registered user
I want to receive a notification when my subscription is about to expire
so that I can renew it on time.

INVEST Criteria	Does User Story Falls Under INVEST Criteria
Independent	This story can be implemented without relying on other features
Negotiable	Details about the notification can be discussed (email vs. app notification)
Valuable	It adds value by helping users manage their subscriptions
Estimable	Team can estimate effort
Small	This is a single, clear function (send notification on expiration) that could be completed in a sprint
Testable	Acceptance criteria could include confirming notification is sent within a set time before expiration

Posted By -	Karan Gupta

Posted On -	Wednesday, November 13, 2024

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