INVEST
Details
- Full Name
-
INVEST Criteria for User Stories
- Also known as
-
INVEST Checklist, INVEST Mnemonic
Core Concepts:
INVEST = Independent / Negotiable / Valuable / Estimable / Small / Testable
- Independent
-
Stories should be self-contained and deliverable in any order; avoid dependencies between stories that force a fixed implementation sequence
- Negotiable
-
Stories are not contracts; the details are open to discussion between team and stakeholders until they enter a sprint
- Valuable
-
Every story must deliver clear value to the user or business; stories that only serve technical needs should be wrapped in user-visible value
- Estimable
-
The team must be able to estimate the story’s size; if they cannot, the story is too large, too vague, or requires a spike
- Small
-
Stories should be small enough to complete within a single sprint; large epics must be broken down before entering a sprint
- Testable
-
Stories require concrete acceptance criteria so developers and testers can verify completion; untestable stories hide ambiguity
- Key Proponent
-
Bill Wake ("INVEST in Good Stories, and SMART Tasks", 2003)
When to Use:
-
Reviewing user stories before sprint planning to assess readiness
-
Splitting epics into smaller, deliverable stories
-
Coaching teams on what constitutes a well-formed user story
-
During backlog refinement to identify stories that need more work
-
As a Definition of Ready checklist for story acceptance into a sprint
Related Anchors: