Field notes
Mapping user journeys to candidate events
Begin with the journey a user actually takes, not the feature list in the roadmap. Sketch entry points, decision moments, and exits. Candidate events sit on those moments.
For each candidate, write one sentence: the trigger, the actor, and the question it answers. If you cannot finish the sentence, the event is probably premature.
Prefer verbs that describe completed actions over vague states. payment_succeeded is clearer than payment_flow for most reporting needs.
Group candidates into families: account, browsing, conversion, retention. Families make ownership and naming conventions easier to apply later.
Only after the map is stable should you debate casing, separators, and property schemas. Sequence matters; naming polish comes second.