understanding-outcome-decomposition

Decompose capabilities into features and then into a maximum of seven stories per feature. This prevents scope creep and ensures each story expresses a structured outcome aligned with governance patterns for manageable execution.

Use the Level Decision Tree and enabler patterns to organize work and determine what belongs at each level. This clarifies boundaries between capabilities, features, and stories, and provides guidance for shared needs during decomposition.

Use enabler patterns when decomposing work to address shared needs and organize manageable pieces. They provide governance guidance to ensure features integrate correctly and stories remain structured outcome declarations.

Audit feature scope by reviewing the decomposed stories within each feature to verify the count does not exceed seven. This ensures the feature remains manageable and that each story correctly expresses a structured outcome.