4 bad backlog habits to avoid

4 worst backlog practices to eliminate in the next quarter.

We’ve all been there:

Loading your backlog to see a depressing number of half-assed tickets. Trust me, a clean, well-maintained backlog isn’t just for show. It’s the difference between leading a strategic roadmap and drowning in noise.

And you know who is to blame?

You, the owner of the backlog.

But that’s good — you are the person that you can affect the easiest. Thus, it’s time to cut out bad habits, and have your backlog work for you, not against you.

Here’s how to do that in just a few weeks:

1) Stop putting every idea into the backlog.
→ Signals: more than 50 tickets are on your back, most of them with barely any details.

How to eliminate:
• Implement a pre-backlog filter (e.g., a shared doc for raw ideas before anything enters Jira/Asana).
• Don’t allow tickets for things you don’t mean to pursue: Say “No” to those requests
• Don’t put every single bug in the backlog, only those cleared for work.

2) Stop keeping things that will never happen.
→ Signals: bottom of your backlog holding tickets older than 9 months and no longer…