How crucial are user stories in your product development process?

As we all know, creating the right product requirements is the foundation for a successful product launch. User stories are an important tool for communicating actual requirements to ensure that the final product meets user needs. These stories act as inputs to engineering and design teams, providing a roadmap for how to build features in the correct way. But we also know that defining user stories can be a challenge. From balancing the needs of various stakeholders to ensuring that user stories are detailed enough to be actionable, there are many hurdles to overcome. That's why we want to hear from YOU. How important are user stories in your product development process? Have you faced any specific challenges when defining user stories, and how have you overcome them? It would be great to hear your insights and best practices