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.