How to Split a User Story (HW Show Episode)

There’s no way you can slice through something that doesn’t deliver value and end up with something that does. If you bring me a big piece of lettuce, there’s no way we’re slicing that into a cheeseburger.

In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we tackle one of the most-requested topics in Agile and Scrum: how to split a user story effectively. Drawing from our best-selling 80/20 Product Backlog Refinement course, Richard walks through the widely-used Story Splitting Flowchart, breaking down common challenges and actionable solutions.

You’ll learn:

  • Why “unsplittable stories” are often just non-stories
  • How to balance the INVEST criteria when refining your backlog
  • Which story splitting patterns are most useful (and when to use them)
  • How smarter story slicing improves prioritization and ROI

Whether you’re a Product Owner, Scrum Master, Agile Coach, or team member, this episode will help you refine your backlog with confidence and clarity.

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