How to Build a Product Backlog

A practical, step-by-step guide to build a product backlog. Product Backlog is the concept behind it — here is how to do it in practice.

For the full concept, see Product Backlog.

Steps

1. Capture all candidate work as backlog items (often user stories, plus bugs and technical work).
2. Have the Product Owner order the list by value, risk and dependency.
3. Refine continuously: split large items, add detail and estimates to items nearing the top.
4. Attach acceptance criteria and a shared definition of ready before an item enters a sprint.
5. Pull the top, ready items into each sprint or into flow as capacity allows.