Scrum Artifacts: Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment
Scrum only has three artifacts—but they do a lot of heavy lifting. In this Scrum Foundations lesson, Mike Cohn breaks down the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment in plain language, explaining how each artifact keeps the team aligned, transparent, and moving toward meaningful outcomes.
You’ll learn why each artifact has a “commitment” (even though the term can feel a bit confusing), and how these commitments—Product Goal, Sprint Goal, and Definition of Done—anchor the team’s work so it doesn’t drift off course.
Mike also clarifies the real purpose of a Product Backlog: not a static list of everything anyone has ever wished for, but a living, prioritized, emergent view of what the team might build next. You'll see why vague items at the bottom are normal, why detail should increase only as work approaches, and how product goals help teams stay inspired without disappearing into a distant future they can't influence.
If you’ve ever wondered how Scrum teams keep clarity while the product evolves, this lesson lays the groundwork.
👉 Want deeper training on backlog refinement, story splitting, and building increments your team can be proud of? Explore the Agile Skills Video Library:
https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/...
Chapters
00:00 Scrum Artifacts
00:21 Scrum Artifact Commitment
00:52 Product Backlog
01:51 What is Included in the Product Backlog
02:55 Product Backlog Prioritization
03:14 Product Goal