Epic

Epics represent significant features, capabilities, or initiatives. They're refined over time into smaller, Sprint-sized user stories. In SAFe®, epics operate at the portfolio level and are managed through the Portfolio Kanban. Epic decomposition follows the INVEST criteria — each resulting story should be Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. Examples: 'Implement user authentication system' (epic) breaks down into stories like 'As a user, I can register with email', 'As a user, I can reset my password', etc.