Glossary
What does “Backlog” mean?
An ordered list of work a team might do, with the most important items at the top.
What it means
An ordered list of work a team might do, with the most important items at the top. Teams pull work from the top of the backlog when they plan.
An example
A product backlog has “bank transfer payments” at the top, “dark mode” in the middle and “Spanish translation” near the bottom; in planning, the team takes the top three.
Not to be confused with: To-do list
A to-do list is everything one person needs to do; a backlog is a team’s prioritised list of possible work, much of which may never be done.
Where you will see it
In agile teams, product management tools, and sprint planning and backlog-refinement meetings — and whenever someone asks “is that on the list?” about a request.
Questions
Who orders the backlog?
In Scrum, the product owner; in other teams, usually a product or team lead.
What is backlog refinement?
A regular session to clarify, estimate and reorder backlog items so they are ready for planning.
How big should a backlog be?
Small enough that the top of it is clear and recent. Very long backlogs hide what matters; many teams regularly delete items nobody will realistically do in the next few months.
Other meeting words
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