What is the primary purpose of the Product Backlog?

The primary purpose of the Product Backlog is to prioritize and manage the work to be done on a product. The Product Backlog is a dynamic and ordered list of all the desired work on the project which is continuously updated based on feedback, market conditions, and team capacity. This prioritization is crucial because it helps ensure that the most valuable features or requirements are addressed first, aligning development efforts with customer needs and business goals.

In Scrum, the Product Owner is responsible for managing the Product Backlog, which includes refining and prioritizing backlog items to maximize the value delivered by the Scrum Team. This ongoing management allows the team to focus on delivering incremental value in short cycles, ensuring flexibility and quick response to changes.

Understanding this function of the Product Backlog highlights its role as the single source of truth for what needs to be worked on, rather than it being a list of schedules or mere documentation, which doesn't reflect its core purpose in enabling effective product development and delivery.