Sample of Estimation Matrix for an AWS project
I was asked in one of my recent sessions about the proper estimation of user stories, and I thought I’d share an example. This complexity matrix is tailored for an imaginary cloud-based project in AWS. It offers a general approach to user story estimation but should be customized to fit specific project requirements, technologies, and team capabilities.
Note: This complexity matrix is only a sample and should not be taken as a final estimation matrix. It is intended to provide insights and ideas for estimating a product’s backlog.
In real-world projects, factors such as unique dependencies, specific coding languages, additional security requirements, and the team’s familiarity with AWS services may influence the estimation and assignment of Fibonacci numbers and T-shirt sizes.
Here’s a complexity matrix for user story estimation, specifically for building a cloud-based ecosystem in AWS. It includes columns for the user story, T-shirt size, Fibonacci number, coding languages needed, application dependencies, and skill level required. This matrix is useful for planning and prioritizing user stories by complexity and skill requirements, helping to organize the work based on the development team’s capabilities and available resources.
This estimation matrix is an updated version of one of my previous articles on this topic. You can read more about it here>>.
| User Story (examples) | T-shirt Size | Fibonacci Number | Number of Coding Languages Needed | Application Dependencies | Skill Level Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Create basic user login | XS | 1 | 0-1 | 0 -1 (e.g. Authentication Service) | Basic |
| Set up a contact form | S | 2 | 1 - 2 | 1 - 2 (e.g. Frontend Framework, Backend API) | Intermediate |
| Implement user profile management | M | 3 | 2 - 3 | 1 - 2 (e.g. Database, Authentication Service, Backend API) | Intermediate |
| Integrate payment gateway | M | 3 | 2 - 3 | 1 - 2 (e.g. Payment API, Backend API) | Intermediate |
| Build a search functionality | L | 5 | 3 - 4 | 2 - 3 (e.g. Search Engine, Database, API)(e.g. | Advanced |
| Design a responsive dashboard | L | 5 | 3 - 4 | 2 - 3 (e.g. Frontend Framework, Backend API, Database) | Advanced |
| Implement user roles and permissions | L | 5 | 3 - 4 | 2 - 3 (e.g. Authentication Service, Database) | Advanced |
| Create a reporting feature | XL | 8 | 4+ | 3+ (e.g. Database, Reporting Engine, API) | Expert |
| Setup automated testing framework | XL | 8 | 4+ | 3+ (e.g. Testing Libraries, CI/CD Pipeline) | Expert |
| Deploy application on AWS | XL | 8 | 4+ | 3+ (e.g. AWS Services (EC2, S3), CI/CD) | Expert |
| Implement real-time notifications | XL | 13 | 5+ | 3+ (WebSocket, Notification Service, Database) | Expert |
| Design multi-region deployment strategy | XL | 21 | 5+ | 3+ (e.g. AWS Services (Route 53, S3, RDS), CI/CD) | Expert |
| Integrate machine learning model | XL | 21 | 5+ | 3+ (e.g. Machine Learning Service, Data Pipeline, API) | Expert |
| Implement security best practices across the application | XL | 21 | 5+ | 3+ (e.g. Security Services, API Gateway, IAM) | Expert |
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