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scrum-planning-and-refinement

Refines product backlogs with INVEST slicing and calibrates sprint planning capacity.

1|Updated Jun 29, 2026
Search Tags:#backlog refinement#agile#sprint planning#story points#scrum#velocity#invest
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/coreyone/software-maestro --skill scrum-planning-and-refinement-coreyone
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: scrum-planning-and-refinement
Source: https://github.com/coreyone/software-maestro/tree/main/skills/scrum-planning-and-refinement
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/coreyone/software-maestro --skill scrum-planning-and-refinement-coreyone

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Teams struggle with oversized epics, vague acceptance criteria, and sprint commitments based on optimism rather than empirical velocity, leading to missed sprint goals and scope creep. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Backlog Refinement Mode: Decomposes monolithic epics into INVEST-compliant user stories using SPIDR slicing heuristics, sizes them with Planning Poker, and gates them against the Definition of Ready. - Sprint Planning Mode: Formulates one singular qualitative Sprint Goal, forecasts capacity from trailing 3-sprint velocity, and locks the committed sprint backlog with explicit non-goals. - Use Case: A checkout team preparing for sprint kickoff uses this Skill to slice an Apple Pay epic into stories of 8 points or fewer, calculate available capacity of 22 points from a trailing velocity of 28, and commit a backlog bound to a single sprint goal. ## Quick Start Run sprint planning for my team by defining one sprint goal and sizing the backlog against our trailing velocity.

Frequently Asked Questions about scrum-planning-and-refinement

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I run a sprint planning session with capacity calibration?▼

Sprint planning starts with the Product Owner defining the What and Why, then developers define How and capacity. Forecast capacity using the average of the last 3 sprints minus on-call and time-off deductions, then commit backlog items bound to one singular Sprint Goal.

How to split large epics into INVEST user stories?▼

Split epics using SPIDR slicing heuristics (Spike, Paths, Interfaces, Data, Rules) into thin vertical slices of 8 story points or fewer. Each story must satisfy INVEST criteria and include executable BDD/Gherkin acceptance criteria to pass the Definition of Ready.

What is the Definition of Ready in backlog refinement?▼

Definition of Ready is the gate a user story must pass before entering a sprint, requiring INVEST compliance, sizing at 8 points or fewer, and executable acceptance criteria. Refinement maintains a rolling queue of 2 sprints of DoR-ready work using roughly 10% of team capacity.

When should I not use sprint planning with velocity forecasting?▼

Velocity forecasting is unreliable for brand-new teams without 3 sprints of historical data or when team composition changes significantly. This skill also does not cover in-sprint ceremonies like daily standups, which fall outside the prep-phase scope.

How does this handle mid-sprint scope changes?▼

The sprint backlog is locked once committed, and zero scope creep is allowed mid-sprint without swapping out an equal number of story points. Explicit non-goals and trade-off triggers are locked during planning to enforce this boundary.

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