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Focusing (only) on Product Backlog Management demotes Product Managers & Product Owners to mere Backlog Managers.

First and foremost, take your time to reflect on these questions:

🤘Do you spend more than 4h a week managing your backlog?
🤘Do you refuse to delete old backlog items?
🤘Do you add everything to the backlog so you take care “later”?
🤘Is your backlog so big you cannot even relate the items to a shared goal?

The more you answered yes to the above, the closer you’re to a backlog manager and far away from experiencing the accountabilities of a Product Manager & Product Owner.

Sorry if you dislike it, but the job goes way beyond that.

What should a Product Manager & Product Owner do instead?

💡Focus on discovering value drivers instead of bloating your backlog with tasks. Keep your backlog lean and goal-oriented.

💡Review your backlog’s items to ensure alignment with goals. Delete outdated items to avoid clutter and maintain clarity.

💡Assign a 3–6 month due date for backlog items. Delete them if you don’t work on them by the due date. This keeps your backlog fresh and focused on what matters.

💡Challenge the value of new items before adding them. Remove old, irrelevant items regularly.

💡Simplify structure and prioritize collaboration over rigid processes. Keep your backlog as simple as possible so you don’t become a victim of it.