Reference Story

A Reference Story is a known work item the team uses as a baseline during Relative Estimation. It helps answer the question: "Is this new item more or less effort than something we already understand?"

Instead of starting from scratch every time, the team compares new work to a familiar story---one that already has an agreed size and is well understood. This makes estimation quicker, more consistent, and focuses the conversation on differences in complexity, not the number itself.

Reference Stories are especially useful when teams are building their estimation scale or when clarity is needed across sprints. Like all estimation techniques, the goal isn't precision---it's to build shared understanding and uncover hidden assumptions.