Purpose
The method helps clarify backlog, sprint work, and team flow concretely. It sorts work by value, risk, and deliverability. The outcome is captured as clarified story, test examples, and open questions.
Agile
Three Amigos
Turns backlog, sprint work, and team flow into a tangible result by bringing a story, checking business intent, and agreeing on next steps.
Are what, how, and what-can-break clear enough for the story to be implemented without further refinement?
LowWorkshop + async15-30 min
How it works
The team follows the steps: bring a story, check business intent, check implementation concerns, check test cases and edge cases, and agree on next steps. Each step is captured visibly. At the end, a clarified story, test examples, and open questions are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.
Visual orientation
Method sketch for a quick mental model.
Flow
- 1Bring a story
- 2Check business intent
- 3Check implementation concerns
- 4Check test cases and edge cases
- 5Agree on next steps
The runsheet guides execution with 4 phases, timeboxes, 5 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open runsheetIdeal for
- Story Refinement
- BDD
- Shared Understanding
Not good for
- Large meetings
- Open strategy work
Deep dive
In detail
Three Amigos follows a clear working logic: bring a story, check business intent, review implementation concerns, check test cases and edge cases, and agree on next steps. This turns the method into a visible thinking process rather than only a conversation. Participants move step by step from raw material, observations, or options toward a shared structure. As a result, a clarified story, test examples, and open questions support decisions, learning, or further planning.
Facilitation
Prepare a clear guiding question, the right information, and a visible workspace. Plan about 15-30 min with 3 people and use the format in a workshop or asynchronously. The facilitation stays lightweight; short timeboxes, visible intermediate results, and a parking lot for open questions help.
Output artifacts
Clarified StoryTest ExamplesOpen Questions
Artifact templates
Three Amigos Working TemplateCompact working template for Three Amigos with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.markdown
Three Amigos Working TemplateCompact working template for Three Amigos with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
markdownthree-amigos-working-template.md
Compact working template for Three Amigos with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
Three Amigos Working Template
Goal
A short alignment session for a story from business, development, and test perspectives.
Context
When and for what do we use this method?
Input
Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?
Execution
Short notes along the runsheet.
Output artifacts
- Clarified Story:
- Test Examples:
- Open Questions:
Assumptions and open questions
- ...
Decision / Next step
Owner, date, and success signal.
When to choose differently
Short decision aid for existing alternatives.
Example Mapping
Statt Three Amigos, wenn ihr konkrete Beispiele als Brücke zwischen Fachsprache und Akzeptanzkriterien nutzen wollt.
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Acceptance Criteria Workshop
Moves backlog, sprint work, and team flow toward a concrete result through "pin the story summary to the whiteboard", "write the happy path as Given-When-Then", and "copy the criteria into the story tool".
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Example Mapping
Turns backlog work, sprint work, and team flow into a tangible result by noting the story, collecting rules, and checking scope.
Statt Three Amigos, wenn ihr konkrete Beispiele als Brücke zwischen Fachsprache und Akzeptanzkriterien nutzen wollt.
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Turns backlog, sprint work, and team flow into a tangible result by identifying oversized stories, finding the smallest value slice, and reprioritizing.
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Turns team flow, expectations, and delivery rhythm into a tangible result by clarifying work context, collecting expectations, and setting a review cadence.
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4Ls Retrospective
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