Not all surprises in product development are true unknowns

Many product development surprises stem from poor backlog management, not true unknowns. Regular refinement and reflection help teams anticipate and reduce unexpected issues.

Published on 28 April 2025

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/3R0CYmaHd63

Not all surprises in product development are true unknowns. Many are just the result of bad backlog management.

Teams often get blindsided by last-minute changes, unexpected dependencies, or hidden complexities. But here’s the reality: Most of these “surprises” could have been anticipated with better refinement.

How often do you reflect on the surprises from previous Sprints?
Do you categorise them into genuine unknowns vs. things you should have seen coming?
Are you adjusting your approach based on these learnings?

Refinement isn’t just about breaking down work—it’s about building foresight. If your team is constantly caught off guard, your backlog isn’t doing its job.

Product Backlog Backlog Refinement Software Development Operational Practices Team Performance … 3 more Agile Planning Pragmatic Thinking Agile Product Management

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