Activity – introducing the Product Backlog

The first step in this activity is used to familiarize your team with the Product Backlog:

Activity: Introducing the Product Backlog
What you'll need: User Stories written on index cards or printed, post-it notes, and black sharpie pens
Setup: A large table that the whole team can fit comfortably around
Remember: Set a time-box before this activity starts

The first step in this two-part activity involves your Scrum team sitting around the table. Your Product Owner has the Product Backlog; they pass it to the team member on their right. That team member takes the top story and reads it aloud, including the acceptance criteria and any notes.

They then place it in the center of the table so that other team members can read it, ask questions, and discuss the acceptance criteria. You should make any refinements to the story, usually in the form of pencil or post-it note additions.

Once the discussion is complete, the User Story will remain on the table, and the Product Backlog is passed right to the next team member, and the process is repeated.

This activity completes when either the backlog has been worked through or the time-box is over—whichever comes first.