Agent skill · product strategy · borghei
wwas
Why-What-Acceptance backlog format that connects every work item to strategic business objectives, with INVEST quality gates and observable acceptance criteria.
Why this skill is useful
Provides a structured format for backlog items that aligns work with strategic objectives, enhancing clarity and focus in project management.
What it needs
About 3k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-07-21. 462 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Why-What-Acceptance Backlog Expert Overview Create backlog items using the Why-What-Acceptance (WWAS) format. This format ensures every piece of work connects to strategic context, includes a concise description that serves as a "reminder of the discussion" rather than a detailed specification, and defines high-level acceptance criteria focused on observable outcomes. The format has three parts: Why (1-2 sentences): connects the item to a business objective, OKR, or theme; answers "why does this matter?" and "why now?" If you cannot write a compelling Why, the item should not be prioritized. What (1-2 paragraphs): a reminder of the refinement discussion, not a specification. Link the design if one exists. Acceptance Criteria (4+): observable outcomes that define done — not implementation steps or test scripts. Before an item enters a sprint, it must pass the INVEST gates (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable). When to Use Backlog creation -- building a product backlog where strategic alignment is critical. Sprint planning -- refining items and the team needs to understand why each matters. Stakeholder communication -- executives need to see how work connects to business objectives. Roadmap decomposition -- breaking roadmap themes into actionable backlog items. When NOT to Use When you need situation-driven requirements -- use job-stories/ instead. A pure technical task with no strategic context (use a simple task description). The team prefers traditional user stories and strategic context is well-understood. Clarify First Before writing the item, confirm these inputs. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills borghei/wwas