I’ve noticed something transformative in my years working with Scrum teams – the moment we truly see our users as people, everything changes. This transformation happens through personas, and I want to share how this tool has helped teams shift from building features to creating meaningful experiences.
When Alan Cooper introduced personas in the 1990s, he tapped into something I deeply believe – that we create better products when we understand the hearts and stories of our users. Cooper saw teams getting lost in feature lists, missing the human element that makes products matter.
Think about what makes a persona real. It’s not just a document – it’s bringing a user to life through their story:
- Their name and face
- Who they are and where they’re from
- What drives them forward
- What keeps them up at night
- How they spend their days
- Their comfort with technology
- A glimpse into their daily life
Let me share a story of two teams I’ve worked with. One team, let’s call them Team Alpha, built what they thought users needed. They focused on features, checking boxes, moving fast. But when their app launched, it didn’t connect with users. The features were there, but the soul wasn’t.
Then there was Team Beta. They spent time understanding their users through personas. Each feature discussion started with “How would Sarah use this?” or “Would this solve Tom’s problem?” When their app launched, users felt understood. The product spoke to them because the team had listened first.
I’ve seen how personas transform how Scrum teams work:
- Product Owners make decisions through the lens of user needs
- Teams unite around shared understanding of who they’re helping
- Sprint planning focuses on solving real problems
- The backlog becomes a map of user journeys
- Testing connects to real scenarios
When teams ask me how to create personas that matter, I tell them:
- Start with real conversations and data
- Make them specific enough to feel real
- Keep them visible in your workspace
- Let them grow as you learn more
- Bring everyone’s perspective into their creation
- Include numbers that tell their story
You’ll know personas work when:
- Users tell you “this feels made for me”
- Features solve real problems
- Teams make decisions with confidence
- Rework decreases because you got it right first
I believe personas are more than a tool – they’re a bridge between our teams and the people we serve. When we use them in Scrum, we’re not just building products. We’re creating connections. We’re solving problems that matter. We’re making lives better.
Looking ahead, I see personas helping teams create products with purpose. It’s what drives me as a coach – watching teams discover that when they truly understand their users, they build things that matter.
What stories could your personas tell?