Most teams treat their backlog like a security blanket. As long as every idea has a ticket, it feels like nothing is really lost. Meanwhile, the list grows, grooming sessions drag on, and very little of it makes it into production.
My new Simplicity-First essay, “The Backlog Is Lying to You: Delete It and Build Products That Actually Ship,” argues that a massive backlog is not a sign of strategy. It is a sign that the team is afraid to make a decision. Capturing everything lets you avoid saying “no,” but it quietly kills focus, ownership, and momentum.
In the essay, I dig into:
Why hoarding tickets is just procrastination with better tooling
How bloated backlogs distort product conversations and slow delivery
A different rule of thumb: ship it soon or delete it
Tactics like hard backlog caps, expiry dates, and deletion days
How a tiny, honest backlog changes planning, onboarding, and trust
If your team spends more time grooming Jira than shipping value, this one will sting a bit. That is intentional.
