Any phase · Onboarding
Take over a backlog and roadmap
An inherited backlog contains past decisions, promises and clutter. Understand it before changing it.
About 2-5 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Prioritisation and roadmappingDelivery and execution
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- Partway through a buildRunning a live product
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- All
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Ask the previous owner or team to walk you through the roadmap and backlog.
- Find out what has been promised to whom.
- Mark items that are old, unclear or duplicated.
- Check the top items still fit the goals.
- Agree any changes with the team and stakeholders.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Review the backlog and commitments.
- Clean up stale items.
- Re-prioritise against goals.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Reset the roadmap around outcomes.
- Handle commitments openly.
- Use the reset to build trust.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- Product Owner or Delivery Manager: Walk you through the backlog
Reviewed by: Delivery Manager
Tool examples
- Jira
- Filter for items not updated in six months to find clutter.
- Linear
- Use views to find stale issues.
Definition of done
- Backlog and commitments understood
- Stale items cleaned up
- Priorities agreed
Common pitfalls
- Deleting everything
- Breaking promises without explanation
- Keeping everything