What is backlog refinement (grooming)?
Answer
Backlog Refinement (previously called "Grooming") is the ongoing activity of decomposing and further defining Product Backlog Items. It ensures that higher-priority items are ready (well-defined, estimated, small enough) before they are selected in Sprint Planning. Activities: adding detail, estimates, and order to items; splitting large items (Epics) into smaller user stories; removing outdated items; reprioritizing based on changing business needs. The Scrum Guide suggests refinement consumes no more than 10% of Developers' capacity. It's not a formal Scrum event with a fixed timebox — it happens as needed, often in a regular weekly session. Who attends: usually the Product Owner (mandatory), interested Developers (often Senior/Tech Lead), and sometimes stakeholders. Outputs: a backlog where the top items are "Ready" for Sprint Planning — well-defined, estimated, and small enough to complete in a Sprint. The term "grooming" was deprecated because it has inappropriate connotations in some cultures.