Product Backlog
The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of everything that might be needed in the product, serving as the single source of requirements for any changes to be made.
Explanation
The Product Backlog is a living artifact that is never complete. As the product and its environment evolve, so does the backlog. It contains features, enhancements, bug fixes, technical debt items, and anything else the team might work on. The Product Owner is responsible for its content, availability, and ordering.
Items at the top of the backlog are more refined, with clear descriptions, acceptance criteria, and estimates. Items lower in the backlog are larger and less defined. This approach, called progressive elaboration or backlog refinement, ensures the team invests detail only in items that are likely to be worked on soon.
The Product Goal is the commitment associated with the Product Backlog. It describes a future state of the product that serves as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against. The Product Backlog emerges in service of the Product Goal.
Key Points
- •Single source of truth for all work the team might do
- •Ordered by the Product Owner based on value, risk, and dependencies
- •Top items are refined with clear acceptance criteria; bottom items are less detailed
- •The Product Goal is the commitment associated with the Product Backlog
Exam Tip
The Product Backlog is never frozen or baselined. It continuously evolves. If an answer suggests locking the backlog, it is incorrect in an agile context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Product Owner
The Product Owner is the Scrum accountability responsible for maximizing the value of the product by managing and ordering the Product Backlog, representing stakeholder needs, and ensuring the team builds the right thing.
Sprint Backlog
The Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus the Sprint Goal and the plan for delivering the Increment.
User Stories
A User Story is a short, informal description of a feature told from the perspective of the person who desires the new capability, typically following the format: As a [role], I want [goal], so that [benefit].
Definition of Ready
The Definition of Ready (DoR) is an informal checklist that a team uses to determine when a Product Backlog item is sufficiently refined and understood to be pulled into Sprint Planning.
Test your knowledge
Practice scenario-based questions on this topic with detailed explanations.