From the ScrumDev yahoo group, I found this quote:

“An Agile project begins when testers convert high-level requirements into testable specifications.”

At first, it resonated with me. Then I started to question it.

• “What if the requirements aren’t fully fleshed out?”

But then, I realized the answer to that was “If the high level requirements aren’t fully fleshed out, you can’t realistically start the project. That’s like saying your backlog isn’t fixed for the 30 days - if it isn’t fixed, you’re already hosed.

• “What does ‘testable specifications’ mean?”

Well, our company uses ‘day in the life’ stories that go through most of the core, commonly used functionality. I don’t know if that meets Tobias’s standards, but it certainly seems to get the job done here.

So, after questioning it, I find that it still makes a lot of sense. Huzzah!