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What does "story points" mean in programming?

story points is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.

Definition

A unit for estimating the relative effort or complexity of a story or task. Story points are relative: a task worth 3 points is roughly three times the effort of a 1-point task. They are not hours.

Example

"This story is worth 5 story points because it requires changes across three services."

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