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BA Playbook

This is BA playbook. As a BA, your job is to extract intent, pinpoint uncertainties, and translate business needs into testable behavior.

This playbook applies across squads and industries. It focuses on principles and mindset, not tools or templates.

  • Collaborate with stakeholders to uncover why something is needed
  • Break down goals into concrete behavior
  • Ensure delivery teams build the right thing, not just what was asked

Before the Start​

Ask yourself:

  • Do I understand what triggered this initiative?
  • Can I explain what success looks like from the business side? Goals?
  • Am I automating the process which already manually works, or it is a fresh process strait to the automation?
  • Do I know which people are most impacted by this process today?

If not — don’t move forward. You’re guessing, and guessing kills squads.

Workflow​

  • Project Kickoff
  • Identify the Goals
  • Identify Stakeholders & Map Roles
  • Draft Lean Personas (optional, but helpful)
  • Understand Current Process / Context
  • Conduct Discovery Interviews
  • Clarify WHY feature or idea matters
  • Define User Scenarios and Workflows
  • Write Acceptance Criteria
  • Review with 3 Amigos
  • Ensure It’s Testable & Buildable
  • Mark Ticket as READY

🔍 Step-by-Step Guide​

Why​

Ask:

  • “What problem are we solving?”
  • “What would happen if we don’t fix this?”
  • “Who is hurt today by this being broken?”

If you don’t know the why, don’t move on.

Identify Stakeholders and Map Roles​

  • Who will use this?
  • Who pays for this?
  • Who has approval?
  • Who supports it?

Map roles to see gaps, blockers, or conflicts.

Draft Lean Personas​

Focus on:

  • Role
  • Goal
  • Frustration

Discovery Interviews​

Talk to real users or SMEs. Ask:

  • “Walk me through your day”
  • “What’s the worst thing about this process?”
  • “What do you do when it fails?”

Document Existing Workflow​

Use:

  • Flow diagrams
  • Bullet points

Define User Scenarios​

Use this format (INVEST):

As a [role], I want to [action], so that [value].

Also define:

  • Preconditions
  • Alternate flows
  • Failure handling

Acceptance Criteria​

Write testable, clear criteria:

GIVEN I’m on the invoice page  
WHEN I click “Download PDF”  
THEN I should get the correct invoice file

3 Amigos Review (BA + QA + TL/SA)​

You’re not done until:

  • Everyone understands the scenario
  • It can be tested
  • It can be built without assumptions

Mark Ticket as Ready​

Check:

  • Why is clear
  • Roles and personas mapped
  • Scenario defined
  • Acceptance criteria testable
  • Squad reviewed

PO Responsibility Splitting​

If there’s no formal Product Owner, the BA works directly with stakeholders and coordinates with the Tech Lead.

Responsibilities split like this:

  • BA Discover intent, define behavior, support design/testing
  • TL Feasibility, delivery timeline, tech strategy
  • Stakeholders Validate direction, business priorities, constraints

Post-Delivery Reflection​

Mature BAs check if their work actually worked.

  • Ask users: “Did this solve your problem?”
  • Review bugs or rework: Were edge cases missed?
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