Inside GitLab's Healthy Backlog Initiative
Table of Contents
Introduction
At GitLab, the community's increased participation in GitLab issues has led to a backlog of over 65,000 issues, some of which are no longer relevant. The Healthy Backlog Initiative aims to streamline backlog management, prioritize strategically aligned features, and enhance collaboration with the community.
The Healthy Backlog Initiative
The Healthy Backlog Initiative involves culling the current backlog and establishing a workstream for Product and Engineering teams to manage it effectively. Weekly assessments will ensure that issues align with the product strategy and roadmap, leading to more focused development efforts.
Benefits of the Initiative
- Sharper focus and faster delivery: By narrowing the backlog to strategically aligned features, development resources can be utilized more effectively, resulting in shorter development cycles and more meaningful improvements to the GitLab platform.
- Clearer expectations: Transparent communication about the roadmap empowers users to make informed decisions, creating a more responsive feedback loop and ensuring alignment with user needs.
Looking Forward
The Healthy Backlog Initiative underscores GitLab's commitment to transparency and effective platform stewardship. Community feedback and contributions remain integral, with initiatives like the Notable Contributor program and Swag rewards recognizing the value of user input. Feedback on the project can be shared on the feedback issue in the epic.