It was truly gratifying to witness the participation of around 200 individuals at WordCamp 2023 hosted by Fast University Islamabad this past Sunday.
While weekends are typically enjoyed by many, it’s noteworthy that the WordPress community convened to celebrate a significant event. I had the honor of being selected to present on the methodologies of agile/scrum and the nuanced skill of crafting user stories in WordPress projects. This departure from the norm stems from the prevalent notion that WordPress projects are modest in scale and unsuitable for product development. Consequently, many overlook the potential applicability of Agile/Scrum in the context of WordPress projects.
My presentation aimed to redirect the focus towards requirement engineering through the proactive creation of user stories. The objective was to anticipate potential changes rather than contend with a barrage of change requests during the project’s concluding phases. By enhancing user stories at the project’s initiation, the team could gain a comprehensive understanding of the tasks at hand.
Throughout my presentation, I swiftly traversed the principles of Agile and Scrum, delving into the Agile Manifesto, and Scrum pillars, and emphasizing the distinction between good and great user stories. As highlighted, great user stories revolve around the actor, goal, benefit, and acceptance criteria.
Moreover, I advocated for a shift in perspective, urging attendees to prioritize end-users over clients. The key takeaways from my presentation were:
- Prioritize the end-user, transcending focus solely on the client.
- Encourage collaboration within the team.
- Seek innovative solutions instead of fixating on challenges.
- Embrace diverse perspectives and conduct thorough testing.
- Lead by example, maintaining authenticity throughout.
In essence, the talk sought to inspire a proactive and user-centric approach within WordPress projects, challenging preconceptions about their size and suitability for Agile methodologies.