What is an Epic in Product Management?

An Epic in product management is a large feature or goal that’s broken down into smaller tasks or user stories to make it easier to plan and build.

Why Are Epics Important in Agile Product Management?

Divide Big Perform

Divide complicated aspects into simpler, minor tasks.

Preserve Organization Connection

Each person is conscious of the overall objective and how their position fits into it.

Smarter Preparation

Encourages the calculation of objectives, capacity, and finances.

Monitor Work Concisely

By analyzing a huge feature's segments, you can find out how advanced it is.

Epic vs User Story vs Feature

Term	What It Means	Size/Scope	Example
Epic	A large goal or initiative broken into smaller tasks or stories	Big (spans sprints)	"Build a payment system"
Feature	A specific functionality that delivers value to users	Medium	"Add credit card payment option"
User story	A small, specific requirement from the user's point of view	Small (within sprint)	"As a user, I want to save my card details"

How to Write an Epic (Step-by-step guide)

Describe the main objective

Indicate exactly what the epic seeks to accomplish.

Describe the value

Explain the significance of this epic and how it helps users or the company.

Define the scope

By stating which elements are now excluded and which will be included in the epic.

Divide it up into user stories

From the perspective of the user, break the epic up into smaller jobs.

Add clearance guidelines

List the necessities that have to be satisfied in order for the epic to be declared completed.

Establish goals and develop a budget

Perform with colleagues to figure out the scope and priority of the project that needs to be done.

Analyze growth

Use tools like Jira or Trello to keep up with the status of all the narratives under the epic.

How Epics Fit into Agile Frameworks

Top Level Planning Tool:
Epics are added to a list of things to do by product managers, who then split them up into minor duties that the entire team may do in sprints.
Broken Down into Stories:
Epics are split into smaller user stories or tasks that can be completed during sprints. This makes big work manageable and trackable.
Used in Backlogs:
Product owners add Epics to the product backlog, and over time, prioritize and refine them into sprint-ready items.
Support Agile Goals
Epics help teams stay aligned with business goals, focus on delivering value, and adapt as requirements evolve.
Track Progress Across Sprints:
Since Epics span multiple sprints, they are useful for tracking long term progress in tools like Jira.

Examples of Epics in Product Management

Slack Integration for Notifications

Enable users to connect their Slack accounts and receive app alerts.
It improves team collaboration and reduces the need to check multiple platforms.

Self-Service Billing Portal

Let users manage their subscription plans, invoices, and payments directly.
Reduces support tickets and gives users more control.

Launch Mobile App (Beta)

Build and release a basic version of the mobile app for early testers.
Includes login, dashboard access, and push notification features.

Advanced Reporting Dashboard

Create a customizable analytics dashboard for users to track key metrics.
Gives users deeper insight into performance without external tools.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Epics

Too Broad

Epics that are too large become hard to manage.

Not Split

Failing to break Epics into user stories confuses the team.

No Acceptance Criteria

Without clear success measures, teams may miss the goal.

Unprioritized Work

Treating all Epics as equally urgent delays real progress.

No Progress Tracking

Not tracking Epics over sprints causes misalignment.

Tools for Managing Epics

Monday.com
Customizable boards to organize Epics, assign owners, and monitor progress.
Productboard
Links customer feedback to Epics and prioritizes based on product strategy.
Linear
A lightweight tool for fast growing SaaS teams to manage Epics, issues, and sprints.
Jira
Widely used in Agile teams to create, track, and break down Epics into user stories and tasks.