a·gen·tic a·gil·i·ty

What Does a Poor Product Backlog Look Like?

TL;DR; A poor product backlog is disorganised, lacks clear priorities, and confuses both teams and stakeholders. A strong backlog is clearly ordered and understood by everyone, aligning team efforts with business goals. Review your backlog regularly to ensure clarity and shared understanding across your team.

Published on
2 minute read
Image
https://nkdagility.com/resources/JqVrh-g-0f8
Subscribe

The Order of Product Backlogs

In the world of Agile and Scrum , a question I often encounter is, “What does a poor product backlog look like?”

Identifying a Poor Product Backlog

Spotting a poor product backlog, in my experience, is just imagining a backlog that feels unordered, where the critical items aren’t prioritised.  🚫 

When pivotal tasks get buried and there’s a lack of clarity, you’re in the territory of a poor backlog.

If your team can’t decipher the contents, and stakeholders are left scratching their heads, it’s definitely a red flag. 🚩

Unpacking an Ideal Product Backlog

Let’s flip the script.  🌟 

I think it’s crucial to shift the perspective and ask, rather than just highlighting the flaws, let’s flip the narrative.

So, What is a Stellar Product Backlog?

A good product backlog is a well-understood, meticulously ordered list.  ✅ 

A list where everyone — from developers to stakeholders — knows its contents.

Everyone is in sync.  They comprehend their roles, understand how to aid in their completion, and recognise their contribution to overarching organisational goals.

Let’s elevate your product backlog lists together if you’re keen to transition from a ‘poor’ to a ‘good’ backlog and unravel the intricacies of effective product management .

Remember, whether you’re a seasoned Agile pro or a newcomer, ensuring a well-maintained product backlog is pivotal.

Uh, poor product backlog is probably unordered. Probably the stuff that’s important is not at the top. Probably the team doesn’t understand what all the things are in the product backlog, and the stakeholders don’t understand it either.

What’s a better idea? A good product backlog looks like a well-understood, ordered list that everybody can get behind. Everybody understands what’s in there. Everybody understands what they need to do to get the things that are in there and how they can help and how it contributes towards the overall organisational goals.

Smart Classifications

Each classification [Concepts, Categories, & Tags] was assigned using AI-powered semantic analysis and scored across relevance, depth, and alignment. Final decisions? Still human. Always traceable. Hover to see how it applies.

Subscribe

Connect with Martin Hinshelwood

If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.

Our Happy Clients​

We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.​

Big Data for Humans Logo

Big Data for Humans

Hubtel Ghana Logo

Hubtel Ghana

Boeing Logo

Boeing

Higher Education Statistics Agency Logo

Higher Education Statistics Agency

ProgramUtvikling Logo

ProgramUtvikling

Milliman Logo

Milliman

CR2

Freadom Logo

Freadom

Teleplan Logo

Teleplan

Akaditi Logo

Akaditi

Bistech Logo

Bistech

Lockheed Martin Logo

Lockheed Martin

Brandes Investment Partners L.P. Logo

Brandes Investment Partners L.P.

ALS Life Sciences Logo

ALS Life Sciences

Healthgrades Logo

Healthgrades

Illumina Logo

Illumina

Genus Breeding Ltd Logo

Genus Breeding Ltd

Philips Logo

Philips

Department of Work and Pensions (UK) Logo

Department of Work and Pensions (UK)

Nottingham County Council Logo

Nottingham County Council

Royal Air Force Logo

Royal Air Force

Washington Department of Enterprise Services Logo

Washington Department of Enterprise Services

Ghana Police Service Logo

Ghana Police Service

New Hampshire Supreme Court Logo

New Hampshire Supreme Court

YearUp.org Logo

YearUp.org

Xceptor - Process and Data Automation Logo

Xceptor - Process and Data Automation

Emerson Process Management Logo

Emerson Process Management

Lockheed Martin Logo

Lockheed Martin

Genus Breeding Ltd Logo

Genus Breeding Ltd

Bistech Logo

Bistech