Honey I Shrunk the Backlog.pdf
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1) The document discusses problems with large product backlogs, including that they don't scale, become bottomless pits, and items get marooned without being delivered. 2) It proposes replacing the backlog with a goal-driven approach focused on objectives, missions, and outcomes instead of work items. With this approach, work is generated just-in-time based on advancing goals within iterations/timeboxes. 3) The objective-driven or "ODA" approach emphasizes resetting goals frequently, working within timeboxes to advance goals, and measuring progress towards goals instead of backlog completion.
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Honey I Shrunk the Backlog.pdf
- 1. Cambridge Product Management Network Honey, I shrunk the backlog Allan Kelly Thanks to our sponsors https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 3. Do you have a Product Backlog? – Hands up • Keep your hand up if… • Your backlog will be done this quarter? • Your backlog will be done this year? https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 4. Who can tell me… • Your team’s velocity? • e.g. how fast your are doing backlog items • Your backlog growth rate? • % growth on average each month https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 5. Backlogs…. Should look like this Usually look like this 130 132 134 136 138 140 142 144 146 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Points of work remaining Iteration 0 50 100 150 200 250 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Remaining work (pts) Iteration https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 7. Nuke the backlog You have nothing to lose but your burndown charts https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 8. We should … • Stop global warming • Feed the world • Create world peace • Do everything in the backlog Road to hell is paved with good intention https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 9. Backlogs are comfort object transient objects Time to let go of childish things https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 10. Hey, there is a feature I really need in your product Thanks for your ideas, I’ve added them to the backlog Great … I wonder how long I’ll have to wait? He’ll be lucky Cost of adding a backlog item? ~$0 Cost of saying ”No”? Hours & hours, $thousands https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 11. 6 months later… How you doing with that backlog item I asked for? Sorry, we’ve not forgotten it, its still there, priorities you know… I’m starting to lose trust in those guys It hasn’t made it to the top in 6 months so it probably never will Marooned backlog items corrode trust https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 12. Our problem is not having ideas for backlog items Problem #1 is delivering the backlog Problem #2: meeting backlog expectations https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 13. Backlogs don’t scale Backlogs work well in the small e.g. Sprint backlogs & near future (weeks) https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 14. The Backlog - can’t see the wood for the tree I know the vision is in here somewhere https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 15. The backlog, a bottomless pit https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 16. Dual-track Agile with discovery Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Delivery Discovery Customers Feedback How does an existing backlog fit with dynamic product discovery? https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 18. Which comes first? Backlog OKRs Are OKRs derived from & reflect the backlog? Are backlogs built to deliver OKRs? OR https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 19. Thought experiment What would you do if you lost your backlog? https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 20. Life without a (product) backlog https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 22. Decide • Desire outcome • Goal / Product Goal • OKRs • … – write it down Purpose Level 1 goal Level 3 Goals • Reset every 3 months • Nuke the backlog • Re-assert missions • Start again, day-1 How do we benefit society? 1 company mission or many Teams exist for a mission Mission(s) Level 2 goals Why does this company exist? What is our mission? Context https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 23. Replace backlog with a Lead with: • Purpose • Mission • Day-1 thinking • OKR • Product Goals • Jobs to be done • True North Create the stories that advance you towards your goals Just-in-Time story generator https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 24. Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday E n d s Work Release Start R e v i e w & R e t r o s p e c t i v e Planning m eeting Thursday Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Iteration (sprint) routine driven by goal/outcome Goal drives works planning Measure progress against goal & outcome Every planning meeting ask: What do we need to do to advance against our goal? https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 25. Super Cycle 1 2 3 4 12 11 5 6 7 8 9 10 Start End Close out & review Set new goals Sprint Sprint Sprint Sprint Sprint Sprint Reset the machine every N weeks https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 26. Work within timeboxes Ask not: How long will it take? Ask: What can we do in the time we have? • This week • 2-week sprint • 3-month quarter https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 27. Lead with Goals Work follows goals Goals follow strategy Focus on goals, and little else https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/
- 29. Goals over backlog Objective Driven Agile Allan Kelly, allan@allankelly.net https://www.allankelly.net https://www.linkedin.com/in/allankellynet/ Book draw: https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/ https://www.allankelly.net/book-draw/