Backlogs. They’re long, messy lists of things you (or someone else) thinks should be done. It may be categorized by features, bugs, ideas, requests, hopes, dreams, etc, but it’s a dumping ground for everything you’re not working on right now, a graveyard of forgotten ideas, low-priority junk and good intentions that have never gone anywhere.
Eventually, nobody even wants to look at it. It's too big, too random, and too out-of-date to help make good decisions. I’ve been known to have the habit of simply deleting anything older than 3 months without even looking at it, the thinking being if it’s truly worth doing it’ll come back.
Why is this bad?
Imagine you’re trying to make dinner, and your recipe book has tacos, tiramisu, and a lasagna — all on the same page. You take one look, get overwhelmed, order pizza, and move on.
That’s what happens with a backlog.
When it’s time to plan your next sprint or project, this mess is meant to help prioritize and choose what’s next. But you end up answering questions like “Why is this being worked instead of this?” or How did X become a priority over Y!?”. No one’s happy, the product suffers, 2 weeks go by and you repeat the same thing all over again (the very definition of insanity).
So What’s the Fix?
Instead of one massive backlog, break it into focused lists based on where the work, ideas and problems are coming from. For example:
- Prospects: This list comes from sales, things on here will help close deals. I use transcriptions from sales calls, feed them into an LLM along with my existing prospects list and have the LLM re-prioritize the list, add anything new if needed and remove anything that no longer belongs.
- Customers: This list comes from customer support and shows you what users are struggling with. Similar to the prospects list, try collecting pertinent conversations from your CS tools, feed them into an LLM with your current customers list and have it re-prioritize the list or add something if needed and of course, remove anything that no longer matters.
- Future Bets: These are your hunches, moonshots, big ideas, etc.
- Bugs: Actual product issues, often come from customers, but also internal testing, demos, etc.
Each list stays scoped, relevant and current — if something’s no longer needed, it goes.
How to Pick What to Work On
This is where Responsive Planning shines. Instead of trying to guess what you’ll work on months in advance, you decide what to tackle when you’re ready — using current information and ACTUAL context.
Think of it like a restaurant kitchen. The chef doesn’t make every dish just in case someone orders it. They wait for the order, then cook what’s needed. Tools are ready, prep is done — but effort isn’t wasted on guesses.
You do the same. You review the focused lists and ask:
- What’s most valuable or urgent right now?
- What supports our current goal?
- What’s small but impactful?
This isn’t winging it — it’s making better decisions at the moment they matter.
“But That’s Not Real Planning…”
This is when someone inevitably says:
“This isn’t planning. We need a real roadmap. What about visibility? Commitments? Blah, Blah, Blah”
And yeah, sure, it sounds fair. But let’s be real — if your idea of planning means locking in what you’ll build six months from now… you don’t need a roadmap, you need a fortune teller. Or a time machine. Preferably both.
Responsive Planning does not mean chaos. You still have goals. You still need to align to business needs. You’re just not wasting your time, pretending to predict the future and locking in a plan that might not make sense a month from now.
You can still have a roadmap — just use it as a directional tool, not a master checklist. It gives you focus, not false certainty. And adjust it as needed, based on what’s actually happening.
It’s like driving on the highway at night. You can’t see 10 miles down the road — but you’re seeing just as far as your headlights can light up, enough to let you steer with confidence and change course when you need to.
Making It Work
Here’s some tips to put it into practice:
- Keep lists focused: Involve each team in the list specific to them.
- Review weekly, decide as needed: You don’t need a long grooming session — just enough time to make the next smart decision.
- Stay Current: Anchor each sprint or cycle to a clear goal based on the present — like improving user experience or unblocking sales. Plan based on what matters this week, not last quarter.
- Keep things lean: If any list has more than 10–15 items, trim it. Remove liberally. If an idea matters, it’ll come back.
Responsive Planning gives needed structure without added rigidity. No long, messy, forgotten list. No guessing games. Just focused lists, real-time priorities, and better decisions based on what matters now.