The 3Cs: An Easy Way to Make User Stories

The “3Cs” are a foundational concept in agile development, providing a simple yet powerful framework for creating effective user stories. This method helps ensure every team member—from product managers to developers and testers—has a shared understanding of what needs to be built. Our editor is designed to streamline this process with the assistance of AI, making it easier than ever to apply these principles.

The 3Cs Explained

The 3Cs stand for Card, Conversation, and Confirmation. While they may seem simple, each element plays a critical role in bringing a feature to life.

Card

The card is the physical (or digital) representation of the user story. It’s the short, written statement that describes the feature from the end user’s perspective. The classic format is: “As a user, I want to goal, so that reason.” The card serves as a lightweight reminder of the feature’s purpose and is the starting point for all discussions.

Conversation

The conversation is the most important “C” and the true heart of the user story. This is the in-person discussion among the development team, product manager, and other stakeholders. It’s where the team collectively fleshes out the details, clarifies assumptions, and brainstorms solutions. It’s through this conversation that the team develops a shared understanding that goes beyond the brief text on the card.

Confirmation

The confirmation refers to the acceptance criteria—the list of conditions that must be met for the user story to be considered “done.” These criteria are clear, testable rules that ensure the final product meets the user’s needs and the team’s quality standards. They are often written in a “given/when/then” format to make them explicit and easy to verify.

How Our Editor Helps with the 3Cs

Our AI is specifically trained to understand and work within the 3Cs framework. When you input a basic idea for a feature, our editor’s AI can instantly generate a complete user story, including all three components:

Card Generation:

The AI will generate a concise and well-formed “card” statement, following the standard user story format.

Conversation Starters:

It provides a detailed “conversation” section that includes potential questions, edge cases, and discussion points, giving your team a solid foundation for their collaborative session.

Confirmation Criteria:

The AI automatically drafts a comprehensive list of “confirmation” criteria, ensuring every story has a clear definition of “done.”

This integration of AI and the 3Cs ensures that every user story is not only well-written but also complete, collaborative, and ready for your team to discuss and implement. It helps you move faster and with greater confidence, knowing that your stories are built on a solid foundation.