The Importance of Roles in User Stories

Generic user roles are often a get-out-of-jail-free card for people who want to push in pet features or unjustified scope.

The lack of a specific user segment makes it impossible to decide whether a solution is the right one or unnecessary scope creep.

The user segment helps narrow down the group of actors the story is trying to support.

Without narrowing down the user segment, it is challenging to plan releases, measure impact or even discuss completeness.

Avoid as a user statements like the plague. Avoid generic customer segment descriptions of any kind.

Identify and describe user segments that will help you ease productive discussion of needs and solutions.

Precise and accurate user roles help identify needs and remove unnecessary complexity.[¹]

Once you understand who will use the product you’re building, it becomes possible to compare different solution options, offer alternatives, or even discard features that won’t fit.

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[¹]: Gojko Adzic (2015): Fifty Quick Ideas to Improve Your User Stories (https://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Quick-Ideas-Improve-Stories-ebook/dp/B00OGT2U7M)