User Story Mapping

Acknowledgments

This was one of the hardest parts of this book to write. I’ve been blessed enough to enjoy the support of a huge number of people throughout my career. I have and continue to receive so much encouragement from everyone I meet and work with. So, what scares me is that as soon as I start thanking people, I’m going to leave someone out. If I’ve left you out, I am very sorry, and I suspect you’re in good company.

And, another thing is that I’m pretty sure I don’t have any original ideas. I’ve heard it argued that there are no original ideas left. But for me specifically, everything I know I’ve learned from the wise people I’ve worked with over the past two decades. From these insightful friends and peers I’ve learned and applied new ideas and practices. Through long discussions with them, I’ve learned to interpret and deeply understand the experiences I’ve had when practicing my craft. It seems hard to take credit for any of the ideas in this book since I know most were borrowed or simply stolen from others.

Whenever I do have what I believe to be an original idea, I’m reminded of cryptomnesia. It’s a fun word that applies to the accidental plagiarism that reputable people like George Harrison and Umberto Eco are guilty of. Cryptomnesia occurs when a forgotten memory returns without it being recognized as a memory. The crytomnesiac believes the great idea they’ve just come up with is new and original, and not the forgotten memory of something they’ve read, heard, or otherwise ...