User story mapping is a valuable tool for software development once you understand why & how to use it This insightful book examines how this often misunderstood technique can help your team stay focused on users & their needs without getting lost in the enthusiasm for individual product features Author Jeff Patton shows you how changeable story maps enable your team to hold better conversations about the project throughout the development process Your team will learn to come away with a shared understanding of what you're attempting to build & why Get a high-level view of story mapping with an exercise to learn key concepts quickly Understand how stories really work & how they come to life in Agile & Lean projects Dive into a story's lifecycle starting with opportunities & moving deeper into discovery Prepare your stories pay attention while they're built & learn from those you convert to working software