Story
A small piece of work that involves code, delivered in days. The unit a coding agent works on.
What it is
A story is a slice of an epic small enough to build, review and verify in a few days. It says what will change for whom, and points at the requirement it implements and the criteria it will satisfy.
Why it matters
Small, verifiable steps keep feedback fast. A story that is ready — clear requirement, known criteria — can be built without a meeting; a story that is not ready turns into one.
What goes wrong without it
- Work starts on vague tickets and stalls on questions.
- Stories are "done" when the code merges, whether or not the requirement is met.
- Nobody can say which requirement a change was for.
What it gives an AI agent
The story is the agent's assignment. With its requirement, the why-chain above it, the constraints and decisions that apply, and the criteria to prove, an agent can work unattended and show its work. Without them it guesses.
Readiness rules keep agents off stories that are not ready, and done rules keep them from declaring victory early.
Example: Clinic Booking
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Reschedule feature. | Patient moves an appointment from the link in the confirmation e-mail. Implements FR-5C0A71; covers AC1–AC3. |
How it relates to the rest
- Part of an epic; implements requirements; covers their criteria.
- Planned in a work package; subtasks are part of it.
- Different from a stakeholder requirement: a story is work, a requirement is a need. See the comparison page.
In Corpole
- Type Story (ST). Workflow: Backlog, Ready, In progress, Code review, Verification, Done.
- Ready: implements at least one requirement (preferably Authority) and covers at least one criterion.
- Done: every covered criterion is Met, and not only on an agent's word.
- A story cannot implement a Retired record; it must implement the record that replaced it.