"Creepy" User Stories

Written By Allison Pollard

Photo by Dan and Fern Treacy

Most of us are familiar with the idea of scope creep--when the understanding of work grows, and the effort involved is larger than originally expected.  A coworker was talking about the problem of scope creep and how it can be due to discovering technical debt in the codebase that needs to be addressed or it can be related to the complexity of business requirements.  When this happens, he said, the user stories can be called "creepy."  I love the term, and I wonder:

Does your product lead to a lot of creepy user stories?
Allison Pollard

Allison Pollard helps overwhelmed technical leaders debug their management approach. She teaches them how to manage up, support people through change, and make time for strategic work. Her education in computer science, mathematics, and English from Southern Methodist University helps her connect technical work with people management. As a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Allison focuses on improving product delivery and leadership culture. Her experience includes work in energy, retail, financial, real estate, and transportation industries. Allison regularly speaks at global conferences like Scrum Gatherings and Agile Alliance's Agile20xx. She promotes women's leadership as the program director for Women in Agile's Mentorship program. When she's not working, Allison likes to drink lattes and listen to Broadway musicals. Allison is a proud glasses wearer and co-owner of Middlegame Partners.

http://www.allisonpollard.com
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