8 Different Ways to Organize Your Backlog
Try out the best backlog organization practices!
Often we don’t question our product backlogs, they’re a list of stuff we hope, might and would like to do, but do they always have to be represented as a list?
The 8 Different Ways to Organize Your Backlog
1. User Story Map
Backlog as a User Story Map
User Story Maps are a great way to quickly build out your backlog for the first time, it’s also a powerful tool for release planning.
For more mature products I’ve often split my user story map by customer archetype, JTBD, objectives and even problem spaces, depending on what makes the most sense.
2. Idea Funnel Backlog
Idea Funnel Backlog feeding into a Kanban board
Literally a funnel! A great way to visualise your backlog and to actually physically restrict the number of product backlog items that are at the “top” (well “right”) of the backlog.
This form of backlog is great to help with prioritisation and focus whilst also keeping things fluid without too much overhead or formal structure.
3. Opportunity Backlog
Splitting your backlog into two — Opportunity backlog for discovery and Development for delivery.
All the ideas, problem spaces, and opportunities are thrown in here, if validated as a good idea they graduate to the delivery backlog.
And eventually the learning will lead to more opportunities and thus making its way back into the Opportunity backlog and that’s the circle of Product Development!
4. Classes of Work Backlog
Divide your backlog into multiple smaller backlogs based on different classes of work.
What often happens is that in order to keep track of everything product managers go labeling-crazy. When you think about it what they are actually doing is dividing their backlog into multiple smaller backlogs based on different classes of work.
One simple thing to do is to literally separate them. Most tools will allow you to achieve this using different views and filters whilst keeping the integrity of a single view for things like your sprints.
5. Tree Backlog
Tree backlogs are great for complex products with many different feature sets.
Technology Trees are great for complex products with many different types of features. Representing your backlog in this manner is a great way to visually show how different features inter-relate and how certain functionality can start out simple and incrementally be enhanced.
6. Impact Map Backlog
Impact maps are great for ideating many alternative paths towards a particular outcome.
Impact mapping works in a similar way to the Tree Backlog in the sense that it branches out. However, unlike the Tree each stage in the branch is not another backlog item rather it represents a stage in the impact map moving from the WHY > WHO > WHAT > HOW.
Representing your backlog this way is great for keeping everything outcome orientated. However impact mapping backlogs aren’t great at representing other classes of work such as technical debt, bug fixes, etc.
7. Circle Backlog
Circle backlogs are perfect for creating ‘slices’ to categorise your work whilst still maintaining a holistic view in one place.
There’s just something about breaking the mould — or perhaps it has to do with the lack of corners — that brings the creativity out in people.
You can even get creative and have different slice sizes, a great way to physically restrict WIP!And much like the Funnel Backlog they also can act as a roadmap + backlog in one.
8. Conversion Funnel Backlog
Conversion Funnel backlogs are great for early and growth stage products with clear conversions.
It brings two important pieces of information together, the quantitative data around drop-offs/potential pain-points in your funnel but also the backlog items/opportunity areas.
If there is a clear drop off at a particular point then everything within that section of the backlog is now your top priority. You get laser-focus, and you keep focusing on that section of the backlog until the numbers improve or if you get another compelling reason to focus on something else.
Get started with this template right now.
MoSCoW Matrix Template
Works best for:
Ideation, Operations, Prioritization
Keeping track of your priorities is a big challenge on big projects, especially when there are lots of deliverables. The MoSCoW method is designed to help you do it. This powerful technique is built on a matrix model divided into four segments: Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won’t Have (which together give MoSCoW its name). Beyond helping you assess and track your priorities, this approach is also helpful for presenting business needs to an audience and collaborating on deliverables with a group of stakeholders.
Problem Tree Template
Works best for:
Strategy & Planning
The Problem Tree Template is a visual tool crafted to examine a primary issue, its consequential effects, and its foundational causes. Picture it: The tree's trunk embodies the central dilemma, its branches display the direct ramifications, and the roots delve into the underlying reasons. By organizing a challenge in such an illustrative manner, users can comprehensively grasp their situation.
Strategic Action Framework
Works best for:
Roadmap, Planning, Mapping
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ERD Educational Learning Management System Template
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ERD
The ERD Educational Learning Management System Template is designed to streamline the management and organization of educational systems, particularly useful for institutions adapting to online and hybrid learning environments. It helps in efficiently planning and implementing Learning Management System (LMS) features by identifying key entities such as Students, Courses, Instructors, Assignments, and Grades, and the relationships between them.
Christmas Retrospective
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Agile Methodology, Meetings, Retrospectives
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Starfish Retrospective
Works best for:
Retrospectives, Agile Methodology, Meetings
The Starfish Retrospective template offers a structured approach to retrospectives using the metaphor of a starfish. It provides elements for identifying what to start, stop, continue, do more of, and do less of. This template enables teams to reflect on past iterations, identify actionable insights, and prioritize improvements. By promoting clarity and focus, the Starfish Retrospective empowers teams to drive meaningful change and continuous improvement effectively.