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Project Management

12 common mistakes made when using Story Points

Uncover the true meaning of Story Points and avoid common pitfalls in agile estimation.

Maarten Dalmijn
Jan 01, 2017 • 8 min read
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Intermediate
Agile Execution
Agile Planning Techniques
Continuous Improvement Culture
Estimation
Scrum
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Summary

Story Points are a widely used concept in Scrum teams to estimate effort for Product Backlog Items. This article demystifies Story Points, explaining their role in capturing effort, complexity, and uncertainty, without equating them to hours or value. It highlights common mistakes teams make, such as translating Story Points to hours, averaging estimates, and adjusting estimates mid-Sprint. By understanding these pitfalls, teams can better utilize Story Points for effective Sprint planning and stakeholder management. Engage with this guide to refine your agile estimation practices.

Takeaways

  • Avoid translating Story Points to hours to maintain estimation speed and flexibility.
  • Discussing estimation discrepancies in retrospectives can enhance future accuracy.
  • Story Points represent effort, not time or value, aiding in relative estimation.
  • "The Planning Factor" helps to reduce confusion experienced when using story points.
  • Story points represent an effort required to put a PBI ( Product Backlog Item) live.
  • The Product Backlog Item reference demands the product stakeholders to have a rough indication of how long it'd take to complete implementation.

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