Jim & Tobias on Product Backlog

Tobias Mayer @tobiasmayer

@jcoplien I wasn't offended, just somewhat disturbed by that response.

Tobias Mayer @tobiasmayer

@jcoplien Jim, one example of useful ordering that isn't prioritization would be really helpful to show the value of your argument.

Tobias Mayer @tobiasmayer

@michaelmayrde Given that @jcoplien talks about pairwise comparison for prioritization, I don't think that is his point at all.

James Coplien @jcoplien

@tobiasmayer Abstract example 1: Evaluate all possible PBI orderings and keep the one with the highest ROI. Ad-hoc heuristics do this well.

James Coplien @jcoplien

@tobiasmayer Example 2: Use simulated annealing together with dynamic valuation to get the top ROI: a PBI has incrementally dynamic ROI.

James Coplien @jcoplien

@tobiasmayer Example 3: Theme-based grouping to increase ROI by thematic market appeal instead of delivering PBIs by individual priority

James Coplien @jcoplien

@tobiasmayer Example 4: Compute incremental PBIa' ROI as a function of financial quarter and see which orderings yield the best annual ROI

James Coplien @jcoplien

@tobiasmayer Example 5: Break a PBI of one value into two PBIs whose net value is more than the original. The original priority means nada.

James Coplien @jcoplien

@tobiasmayer These are all orderings. None is a priority ordering.

James Coplien @jcoplien

@machielg Which one of us / agree with what (too many contextual antecedents).

James Coplien @jcoplien

@machielg I'm not sure I agree with you. But then, I might. I'm also lost by @tobiasmayer's confusion.

Tobias Mayer @tobiasmayer

@larsvonk roughly the things I call out in http://t.co/wD9TocW, although that article is ready for a rewrite—and a reduction :)

Tobias Mayer @tobiasmayer

@jcoplien @machielg perhaps you are lost because you think me confused. I am not. I am clear. Your use of the term ordering changes nothing.

Tobias Mayer @tobiasmayer

@michaelmayrde Yes, and you are describing prioritization. @jcoplien is arguing that this is NOT a good way to order a backlog.

Tobias Mayer @tobiasmayer

@jcoplien Actually, they're all priority orderings: designate or treat (something) as more important than other things. —Oxford Dict.

James Coplien @jcoplien

@tobiasmayer @michaelmayrde Tobias, where did I say that this is NOT a good way to order a backlog? I said we should not be restricted to it

James Coplien @jcoplien

@tobiasmayer Ordering is about time delivery, not importance. You are confused. The dictionary is right — but ordering is not priority

Tobias Mayer @tobiasmayer

@jcoplien @michaelmayrde "...prioritization is only one technique—and rarely a good one at that."

Tobias Mayer @tobiasmayer

@jcoplien Ordering without prioritizing just seems like waste to me. Why can't the non-priority items remain unordered? I mean, who cares?