Back to the Playbook
DefineDE-06
Break down epic
Split an approved PRD or epic into small, independently valuable stories with acceptance criteria drawn from real code paths.
Product statusAvailable now
Context in4 required inputsEpic or PRD · User journey and key requirements · Dependencies
TransformationProduct Manager + Product Agent + Architecture AgentEpic Breakdown · Code Analysis · Atlassian
OutcomeProposed story breakdown with sequence and dependencies.Artifact: Epic
Owner
Product Manager
Human + Agent
Participants · Agents
EngineerProduct AgentArchitecture Agent
Trigger
An approved PRD or epic is too large for direct delivery.
Required context
JiraEpic or PRDConfluenceUser journey and key requirementsArchitectureDependenciesCodeAffected code
Optional context
JiraEstimateArchitectureArchitecture constraintsFilesRelease strategy
Skills
Epic BreakdownCode AnalysisAtlassian
Methods used inside this Activity: Vertical slicing along the user journey · INVEST criteria
Activity steps
- 1Identify value slices along the user journey.
- 2Separate dependencies and preserve end-to-end increments.
- 3Derive acceptance criteria and edge cases from the code paths.
- 4Order the stories and check independent testability.
Output
Proposed story breakdown with sequence and dependencies.
Artifacts
Creates: Epic, Jira story
What good looks like
- Each story is independently understandable and testable.
- Slices deliver user value.
- Edge cases come from the code, not from guesswork.
- Dependencies are visible.
Quality gate
Product and engineering review the breakdown.
Destination
Jira
Usually next
People and agents work from the same Product Brain. The owner stays accountable. Assigned agents prepare and check. A named person approves at the gate.
Deep dives from the AI PM Lab
Articles that explain the thinking behind this Activity.
Show us exactly how product work happens today.
Thirty minutes with a founder. We compare your process with the Playbook and pick the first Activity to run on your Jira and your repo.