The main stages in the life cycle of a user story typically include creation, where it's initially written. Then there's refinement, which involves making it more detailed and clear. Next is prioritization, deciding how important it is compared to other user stories. After that, implementation, where the development team works on it. And finally, acceptance, when the product owner or relevant stakeholders confirm it meets the requirements.
The life cycle of a user story begins with its inception. Someone comes up with an idea that can be expressed as a user story. Once created, it enters the refinement phase. This is crucial as it helps in clarifying all aspects of the story, from the user's goal to the steps involved. After refinement, prioritization is done to allocate resources effectively. During implementation, the developers turn the user story into a working feature. The cycle ends with acceptance, where the stakeholders validate that the feature developed from the user story meets their expectations.