I just inherited a backlog. What do I do?

In software development, a backlog is a list of things to work on. Ideally, a backlog should be prioritized and actionable.

Prioritized: The items in the backlog should be ordered according to the business value that a feature delivers.

Actionable: The items in a backlog should be actionable by a team member. Ideally, a team member should be able to pick up, start, and complete a piece of work, solely based on the information contained within a story.

As a PM, it is also helpful to understand:

• What product or products is a feature going to touch?
• Is there a due date or business deadline attached to a piece of work?
• Where did this work item originate (which person?)? And, who are the stakeholders that will be evaluating the functionality?
• How big of a task is this? A few minutes for 1 person? Or a couple weeks for a small team? Sizing tasks is quite subjective; nevertheless, try to be honest with yourself and your team in terms of a stories complexity or time-estimate.