Title: User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product

Author: Jeff Patton

Publication date (EN): September 2014 (O’Reilly Media) 

Pages (EN): 324 (O’Reilly listing) 

Value for PMs & founders (problem it solves)
Replace a flat backlog with a two-dimensional map of the user journey to create shared understanding, prioritize wisely, and plan thin end-to-end releases (walking skeleton/MVP) that de-risk delivery and accelerate learning.

Summary
Build a horizontal backbone of activities that tells the product’s story from the user’s point of view; arrange stories vertically by priority/sophistication; then slice the map into progressive releases (from walking skeleton to mid-game and end-game) to deliver value early and iterate with evidence. 

3 community-reported takeaways (with sources)

  1. Story mapping keeps the big picture—a better backlog to explain the system, prioritize, and plan releases. jpattonassociates.com

  2. Release slicing works—start with a walking skeleton and grow capability over slices. jpattonassociates.com

  3. Outcome over output—use maps to focus on user goals and results (not just feature lists). mindtheproduct.com

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