A Backlog is a list of work we might do, but have not committed to doing yet. It is a holding pen for ideas, tasks, fixes, questions, and wishes, written down so they do not get forgotten or live only in someone’s head.
# What it's not!
A backlog is not a schedule. It is not a promise. It is a way to keep a project honest about what exists: all the things people want, and all the things the system needs, even when we cannot do them right now.
# Definition In plain English, a backlog is a queue of “could do next” items. Each item should be small enough that a person can imagine doing it, and clear enough that someone else can pick it up later. A good backlog item says what the outcome is, not just the activity, so you can tell when it is done.
# Why they help?
Backlogs help because they reduce chaos. When new requests arrive, you do not have to decide instantly under pressure. You capture the request, keep moving, and later you can review the backlog and choose what matters most.
A backlog is also a conversation tool. It makes trade-offs visible: if we add something new, something else will wait. It helps teams notice patterns, like repeated pain points, missing documentation, or features that keep getting requested.
# Health
A healthy backlog is kept tidy by a named Document Owner. This person does not have to do all the work, but they are responsible for keeping the list usable and trusted. They remove or rewrite stale items, merge duplicates, break big vague items into smaller ones, and keep the order meaningful as priorities change.
Without a Document Owner, the backlog often becomes a Graveyard of half-ideas, and people stop believing that writing things down leads to action.