A council aide loudly demands a vanity map theme at the top of a transit-app Product Backlog. Developers have also surfaced a high-risk fare-calculation dependency that could stall several upcoming items. How should the Product Owner order the work?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
The person with the loudest voice is not a value model. If a hidden fare-calc snag can stall half the map, that risk belongs near the top whether or not it photographs well. The Product Owner stacks work by value, risk, dependencies, and learning—not by who cornered whom in the hallway.
Full Explanation
Product Backlog order should reflect value, risk, dependencies, and the value of learning—not stakeholder volume. Making a risky dependency transparent and working it in a sensible sequence protects later value. Political vanity items may still appear on the backlog, but they compete on those factors. Fair-looking tricks such as alphabetizing or rotating ignore empiricism and opportunity cost.