The Backlog Paradox: Why “Keeping it Clean” is Costing You Valuable Insights
Here’s the problem. Most teams want a “clean” backlog. No clutter, no noise. It sounds organized. It feels good. But every time you avoid creating a ticket from user feedback, you lose data. You’re trading comfort for blindness.
I’ve seen this play out. An engineer says, “Don’t log that, our backlog will be impossible to manage.” The product owner agrees, and we move on. But valuable insight dies right there.
A clean backlog hides reality. It blocks learning. That’s backwards.
Instead, we switched to a “smart” backlog. Here’s how:
- Capture everything. Every piece of user feedback becomes a ticket. We tag it
feedback-triage. - Triage it fast. Every two weeks, Product and Tech Lead run through the new feedback tickets. Thirty minutes—done.
- Decide: Main backlog (with priority), “Won’t Do,” or “Someday/Maybe.” Nothing lingers.
Result? No more lost feedback. No more guessing what users want. Our backlog is now a real-time dashboard of user voice, product issues, and learnings. It’s not just “work to do.” It’s what we know—and what we’ll act on.
If your team is still fighting for “clean” over “clear,” you’re losing more than tickets. You’re losing what actually matters: insight.
Stop hiding from the mess. Organize it. Learn from it. That’s how teams grow.