Epic
An epic is a large unit of related work representing a broad goal or outcome that can be decomposed into smaller work items.
BDD in Action, Second Edition
An epic is a high-level software or business deliverable representing a broad capability needed to address a business problem or achieve a goal.
- How it is used
- Frames high-level deliverables within business problems, measurable goals, and the capabilities needed to address them.
- How deep it goes
- Traces epics from pain points through goals, impacts, and deliverables, then stops at high-level prioritization rather than implementation detail.
- Examples
- Uses business-traveler acquisition, a 300-percent visit-increase goal, and a completed Pirate Canvas.
- What you can do after
- Apply it to prioritize valuable deliverables and organize requirements for stakeholder validation and regular feedback.
Build Financial Software with Generative AI (From Scratch)
An epic is a large Agile work item representing a substantial project, initiative, or body of related work.
- How it is used
- Organizes roadmap commitments, regulatory changes, and initiatives during PI planning.
- How deep it goes
- Defines epics through planning relationships and decomposition, but stops short of prescribing one universal organizational level.
- Examples
- Uses a Spring 2024 release, individual projects, and user stories as examples of epic structure.
- What you can do after
- Apply it to decompose business commitments into projects and user stories for short development cycles.
Read how Build Financial Software with Generative AI (From Scratch) explains epic →
Related concepts
- user storykind of · A user story is a concise requirement describing a desired software capability, interaction, or outcome from a user’s or stakeholder’s perspective.
- business goalequivalent to · A business goal is a desired organizational outcome that guides decisions, priorities, or resource allocation.
- inputhas part · An input is a value, information, or signal supplied to a system, computation, or interface for processing or to influence its behavior.
- featurehas part · A feature is a distinct capability, behavior, or characteristic provided as part of a product, service, or software system.
- product backlogpart of · A product backlog is an ordered collection of proposed work items for a product, such as features, requirements, and improvements.
- countermeasureuses · A countermeasure is an action or control intended to address a problem or threat by reducing its causes, effects, or likelihood.
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