Product Backlogs Are Not Backlogs
Author: Jurgen Appelo
ChatGPT’s idea of a product backlog
When I ask ChatGPT for the definition of "backlog," it says,
"In project management, particularly Agile methodologies, a backlog is a prioritized list of tasks, features, user stories, and other items that need to be completed. It serves as a dynamic to-do list for a project, capturing and organizing the work identified for the project but not yet accomplished."
The dictionaries say,
"Backlog - an accumulation of tasks unperformed or materials not processed" (Merriam Webster)
"Backlog - a large number of things that you should have done before and must do now" (Cambridge)
"Backlog - an accumulation or buildup, especially of unfilled orders, unconsumed products or unfinished work." (Wiktionary)
Each definition suggests that a backlog is a list of work you must do. You must fulfill all customer orders of a webshop. You must complete all tasks of a visa or immigration process. You must clean out the garbage bags you've accumulated under the stairs. And yes, if you use Scrum, you commit to finishing all tasks on your Sprint Backlog. These are all true backlogs: accumulations of things you still need to do.
That means, technically, a product backlog is not a backlog, as it mostly consists of ideas. Only the top part (or the right-most part, if you're using a Kanban board) can be called a backlog. Only the part where you’ve committed yourself to completing the items should be called a backlog. It's only a backlog when you are responsible for doing the work.
Most of what people call a product backlog is just a wish list: a collection of ideas for features, objectives, stories, etc. You're not responsible for completing those items. You might only be responsible for politely saying "No" to many of those ideas. "No, we're not going to do this." That’s not a backlog.
Note, some of you might say that it’s still a commitment when you’re responsible for saying “No” to the items on the wish list. But I consider that cheating with language. 😉
Call me conservative. Call me a linguistic prude. But calling a list of features a "product backlog" was a bad idea. To ensure that nobody misinterprets such lists as things I should be doing, I try not to use the word "backlog" for wish lists.
