There’s a greater manner.
Product backlogs are likely to develop in dimension quicker than the staff can ship. The widespread situation: somebody comes up with an concept for a characteristic, however you may’t deal with it proper now, so you set it within the backlog.
A couple of days later, another person comes up with a distinct concept, and the entire course of repeats. Once more, and once more, and once more.
Though it’s usually well-intended, placing each perception or concept within the backlog results in a set of issues.
First, it consumes a number of time. Including new gadgets to the backlog is straightforward, however managing them is a very completely different story. Discovering outdated tickets, double-checking if one thing is already within the backlog, and linking dependencies can take days in outsized backlogs.
This complexity usually results in neglecting the backlog altogether. Gadgets get outdated, and folks don’t even bear in mind what the issue was anymore. In any case, it’s been sitting within the backlog for a 12 months, and rather a lot has modified since.
Outsized and thus uncared for backlogs are nowhere close to being the clear and respectable artefact they should be.
So, how will we keep away from an outsized concept backlog? By being selective about what we put there.
Every time there’s a brand new concept, perception or suggestion, there are three potentialities.
1. It is sensible to plan it
Then plan it. Put it on the backlog, present it on the roadmap and begin making ready for the execution.
2. It’s price exploring within the nearest time (1–5 months)
Put it in your discovery instrument. Ideally, you must separate unsure concepts from issues you’re positive you need to ship within the foreseeable future. You possibly can use Alternative Answer Timber or their discovery artefacts to organise related insights.
3. It’s an awesome concept for the long run
Burn it. And don’t look again.
The first cause we find yourself with an outsized, unactionable backlog is the lack to say no. Not solely to the stakeholders however to the thought itself. If the thought is promising, we simply don’t need to neglect it, so we put it within the backlog as a reminder. Throw the rock if the thought by no means crossed your thoughts.
However there’ll all the time be even cooler concepts. Even when you reject an extremely promising concept at the moment, you’ll have one other one tomorrow.
And if the thought is genuinely game-changing, then concern not. It would come again to you when you begin engaged on a associated goal.
