agile3
Product Management

Product Backlog

The single, ordered list of everything that might be done to improve the product.

2 min read · Beginner

In 30 seconds

  • One list, ordered by value, owned by the Product Owner.
  • The top is small and detailed; the bottom is big and rough.
  • Its long-term target is the Product Goal.

What goes in it

Anything that could improve the product: features as user stories, bug fixes, technical work, experiments and research. If it isn't on the backlog, the team isn't working on it.

Ordered, not just prioritized

The Product Owner keeps the backlog in a single order, top to bottom. Value, risk, dependencies and learning all affect the order. "Everything is high priority" is not an order.

The Product Goal

Since the 2020 Scrum Guide, the Product Backlog has a commitment: the Product Goal, a single long-term objective. Items that don't move toward it are candidates for removal.

Keeping it healthy

  • Keep only one or two sprints' worth of items detailed.
  • Delete items nobody has touched in months.
  • Use Backlog Refinement to split and clarify the top.

Myth vs reality

Myth · The backlog is a list of promises.
Reality · It's a list of options; many items will never be built.
Myth · Longer backlogs mean better planning.
Reality · Huge backlogs hide priorities and waste refinement time.
Myth · Only the Product Owner can add items.
Reality · Anyone can propose items; the Product Owner decides the order.

FAQ

How is it different from the Sprint Backlog?

The Product Backlog covers the whole product; the Sprint Backlog is the slice chosen for one sprint.

Can a product have several backlogs?

Scrum says one product, one backlog, even with several teams.

What tool should we use?

Any tool that keeps one visible, ordered list. A spreadsheet works.