Extensive Product Backlogs = Lack of Focus
The longer the backlog, the less agile you are
How many items do you have in your Product Backlog? Please, don’t tell me hundreds. I hope we’re talking about a few dozen.
The more items you have, the more distracted you become.
Extensive Product Backlogs are bad. They will lead to the following:
Focus on the past instead of the future
False expectations from stakeholders
Too much time is invested in managing the backlog
Too little energy left to focus on learning
Wrong conversations
It’s common to think that extensive Product Backlogs are good. Be careful with that. Stakeholders will pressure you for more, and you may say yes and just put items into your backlog.
Extensive Product Backlogs will impede you from creating value faster.
Let me help you change this for the better.
What Can You Do Today For a Better Tomorrow?
Managing your Product Backlog can be simple until you complicate it. I know the drill. I used to keep extensive Product Backlogs with highly detailed items. Don’t do that. It will trap you.
Here are some tips that you can immediately apply:
Remove the clutter: Don’t let the old get in the way of the new. The trick is, what does old mean? I tend to say if something doesn’t make it to a Sprint in 3 months, it’s good to go. I’d suggest you delete all items older than three months. If that’s too much for you, archive them.
Extreme cleaning routine: Create a habit of cleaning your backlog at least once a week. I do that every Friday morning. I have filters set up, and it doesn’t take more than five minutes. Ensure your backlog remains clean and lean.
Direction: Do you have defined goals, or do you have feature roadmaps? The first creates room for creativity, and the second puts pressure on your back. I’d suggest setting a goal that business people can support and the team can commit to. This will be challenging if your organization is output-oriented. Start small. Try getting support to use 20% of your roadmap for a goal and then scale up.
Remove Distractions: Once you have defined goals, remove all backlog items unrelated to them. That will ensure you don’t waste your time with distractions. Just do it. Important things will always come back to your plate.
Just try it out, and you’ll quickly notice how fast you can progress. Don’t let outdated assumptions block you from adapting to your learnings.
A Question For You
What are you afraid of the most, deleting a backlog item you worked on for a few minutes or creating irrelevant features for your customers?