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How to Create Epics and Stories

Use the create-epics-and-stories workflow to transform PRD requirements into bite-sized stories organized into deliverable epics.

When to Use This

Section titled “When to Use This”
  • After architecture workflow completes
  • When PRD contains FRs/NFRs ready for implementation breakdown
  • Before implementation-readiness gate check

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”
  • BMad Method installed
  • PM agent available
  • PRD completed
  • Architecture completed

Why After Architecture?

Section titled “Why After Architecture?”

This workflow runs AFTER architecture because:

  1. Informed Story Sizing - Architecture decisions affect story complexity
  2. Dependency Awareness - Architecture reveals technical dependencies
  3. Technical Feasibility - Stories can be properly scoped knowing the tech stack
  4. Consistency - All stories align with documented architectural patterns

Steps

Section titled “Steps”

1. Load the PM Agent

Section titled “1. Load the PM Agent”

Start a fresh chat and load the PM agent.

2. Run the Workflow

Section titled “2. Run the Workflow”
*create-epics-and-stories

3. Provide Context

Section titled “3. Provide Context”

Point the agent to:

  • Your PRD (FRs/NFRs)
  • Your architecture document
  • Optional: UX design artifacts

4. Review Epic Breakdown

Section titled “4. Review Epic Breakdown”

The agent organizes requirements into logical epics with user stories.

5. Validate Story Quality

Section titled “5. Validate Story Quality”

Ensure each story has:

  • Clear acceptance criteria
  • Appropriate priority
  • Identified dependencies
  • Technical notes from architecture

What You Get

Section titled “What You Get”

Epic files (one per epic) containing:

  1. Epic objective and scope
  2. User stories with acceptance criteria
  3. Story priorities (P0/P1/P2/P3)
  4. Dependencies between stories
  5. Technical notes referencing architecture decisions

Example

Section titled “Example”

E-commerce PRD with FR-001 (User Registration), FR-002 (Product Catalog) produces:

  • Epic 1: User Management (3 stories)

    • Story 1.1: User registration form
    • Story 1.2: Email verification
    • Story 1.3: Login/logout

  • Epic 2: Product Display (4 stories)

    • Story 2.1: Product listing page
    • Story 2.2: Product detail page
    • Story 2.3: Search functionality
    • Story 2.4: Category filtering

Each story references relevant ADRs from architecture.

Story Priority Levels

Section titled “Story Priority Levels”
PriorityMeaning
P0Critical - Must have for MVP
P1High - Important for release
P2Medium - Nice to have
P3Low - Future consideration

Tips

Section titled “Tips”
  • Keep stories small enough to complete in a session
  • Ensure acceptance criteria are testable
  • Document dependencies clearly
  • Reference architecture decisions in technical notes

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

After creating epics and stories:

  1. Implementation Readiness - Validate alignment before Phase 4
  2. Sprint Planning - Organize work for implementation
Section titled “Related”