skills-library/skills/lean/backlog.md

Skill: Lean - Backlog Management

Description

Manage and prioritize product backlog using WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First) and lean principles for optimal value delivery.

Input

• project_id: Project identifier (required)
• action: list|add|prioritize|groom|estimate (required)
• item: Backlog item details for add/update (optional)
• filters: Status, phase, assignee filters (optional)

Backlog Item Structure

{
  "id": "BLI-042",
  "title": "Add dark mode toggle",
  "description": "Allow users to switch between light and dark themes",
  "type": "feature|bug|tech_debt|spike",
  "phase": "empathize|define|ideate|prototype|test",
  "status": "idea|ready|in_progress|review|done|blocked",
  "priority_score": 8.5,
  "scoring": {
    "user_value": 7,
    "time_criticality": 3,
    "risk_reduction": 2,
    "effort": 3
  },
  "story_points": 5,
  "assigned_agent": "frontend|backend|tester|devops|pm",
  "dependencies": ["BLI-040", "BLI-041"],
  "labels": ["ux", "settings", "mvp"],
  "acceptance_criteria": [
    "Toggle visible in settings page",
    "Theme persists across sessions",
    "Respects system preference by default"
  ],
  "created_at": "2024-12-14T10:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2024-12-14T15:30:00Z",
  "sprint_id": null
}

WSJF Prioritization

Formula

Priority Score = (User Value + Time Criticality + Risk Reduction) / Effort

Scale: 1-10 for each factor
Result: Higher score = Higher priority

Scoring Guide

User Value (1-10):

• 10: Core feature, all users need
• 7-9: Important feature, most users benefit
• 4-6: Nice to have, some users want
• 1-3: Edge case, few users affected

Time Criticality (1-10):

• 10: Must ship this sprint, blocking release
• 7-9: Needed soon, customer commitment
• 4-6: Planned for quarter, flexible timing
• 1-3: Backlog, no deadline

Risk Reduction (1-10):

• 10: Eliminates critical security/stability risk
• 7-9: Reduces significant technical debt
• 4-6: Improves maintainability
• 1-3: Minor improvement

Effort (1-10):

• 1-2: Trivial, < 2 hours
• 3-4: Small, 2-8 hours
• 5-6: Medium, 1-2 days
• 7-8: Large, 3-5 days
• 9-10: Epic, > 1 week (should be split)

Priority Buckets

Score > 10:  🔥 Critical    - Do immediately
Score 7-10:  ⚡ High        - Sprint commitment
Score 4-7:   📌 Medium      - Plan for next sprint
Score < 4:   💤 Low         - Future backlog

Backlog Actions

List Backlog

{
  "action": "list",
  "filters": {
    "status": ["ready", "in_progress"],
    "phase": "prototype",
    "label": "mvp"
  },
  "sort": "priority_score",
  "limit": 20
}

Add Item

{
  "action": "add",
  "item": {
    "title": "Implement password reset flow",
    "description": "Users need ability to reset forgotten passwords",
    "type": "feature",
    "phase": "prototype",
    "labels": ["auth", "mvp"],
    "acceptance_criteria": [
      "Email sent with reset link",
      "Link expires after 1 hour",
      "Password requirements enforced"
    ]
  }
}

Prioritize Backlog

{
  "action": "prioritize",
  "items": [
    { "id": "BLI-042", "user_value": 7, "time_criticality": 3, "risk_reduction": 2, "effort": 3 },
    { "id": "BLI-043", "user_value": 9, "time_criticality": 8, "risk_reduction": 5, "effort": 5 }
  ]
}

Groom Items

{
  "action": "groom",
  "item_id": "BLI-042",
  "updates": {
    "description": "Updated description with more detail",
    "acceptance_criteria": ["New criteria"],
    "story_points": 8,
    "status": "ready"
  }
}

Output Format

{
  "status": "success",
  "action": "list",
  "backlog": {
    "total_items": 45,
    "ready_items": 12,
    "in_progress": 5,
    "blocked": 1
  },
  "items": [
    {
      "id": "BLI-043",
      "title": "User authentication",
      "priority_score": 7.33,
      "status": "ready",
      "story_points": 8,
      "phase": "prototype"
    }
  ],
  "recommendations": [
    {
      "type": "split",
      "item_id": "BLI-050",
      "reason": "Effort score 9 - consider breaking into smaller items"
    },
    {
      "type": "prioritize",
      "item_id": "BLI-043",
      "reason": "High time criticality, move to top"
    }
  ],
  "next_step": "Plan sprint with /sprint plan"
}

AI Advisory

Recommendations Engine

function generateRecommendations(backlog) {
  const recommendations = [];

  // Large items should be split
  backlog.filter(i => i.scoring.effort >= 8).forEach(item => {
    recommendations.push({
      type: 'split',
      item_id: item.id,
      reason: `Effort ${item.scoring.effort} is too high. Split into 2-3 smaller items.`,
      priority: 'high'
    });
  });

  // Blocked items need attention
  backlog.filter(i => i.status === 'blocked').forEach(item => {
    recommendations.push({
      type: 'unblock',
      item_id: item.id,
      reason: `Item blocked. Check dependencies: ${item.dependencies.join(', ')}`,
      priority: 'critical'
    });
  });

  // Old items in "idea" status
  const oldIdeas = backlog.filter(i =>
    i.status === 'idea' &&
    daysSince(i.created_at) > 30
  );
  if (oldIdeas.length > 5) {
    recommendations.push({
      type: 'cleanup',
      reason: `${oldIdeas.length} items in "idea" status for 30+ days. Review or remove.`,
      priority: 'medium'
    });
  }

  return recommendations;
}

Quality Gates

• All items have clear titles
• Ready items have acceptance criteria
• WSJF scores calculated
• Dependencies documented
• Large items flagged for splitting
• Blocked items have resolution plan

Token Budget

• Max input: 800 tokens
• Max output: 1500 tokens

Model

• Recommended: sonnet (prioritization reasoning)

Philosophy

"Build less, ship faster. Priority is about saying no."

Keep it simple:

• Small items > Large epics
• Done > Perfect
• User value > Technical elegance
• Weekly grooming beats quarterly planning