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Meta is encouraging advertisers to integrate Google Analytics with its ad platform, offering early access to ad system updates that have shown a boost in conversions. Details. Meta says setting up the connection takes just 5-10 minutes. Advertisers with a high-quality integration saw an additional 5% increase in conversions, according to internal Meta data. How it works: Advertisers must connect Google Analytics to their Meta ads account. Meta will roll out system updates first to those with established connections. Why we care. Advertisers who establish a strong connection between Meta and Google Analytics could see improved campaign performance, gaining an edge in a competitive ad landscape. The big picture. As privacy changes continue reshaping digital advertising, deeper integrations between analytics and ad platforms are becoming critical for performance tracking and optimization. First seen. We saw this update when paid search and social consultant Samantha Noble mentioned seeing the message on LinkedIn. What’s next. Advertisers who act early may benefit from future updates before the broader rollout. Expect Meta to further incentivize integrations across its ad ecosystem. View the full article

Schema markup is code that helps search engines better understand your website content. View the full article

Featuring Elly Dembo, Global Head of Data and Intelligence, McCann and Daryl Lee, Global CEO, McCann. Moderated by Kc Ifeanyi, Executive Director of Editorial Programming, Fast Company. America feels more divided than ever. Seventy-two percent of Americans believe this is the most complicated time to be an American, and 76% feel like the country is eroding. But beyond the headlines, there are powerful forces still holding the nation together: shared values, cultural touchpoints, and the evolving American dream. Join McCann Truth Central for an exclusive discussion about their latest study, revealing the surprising ways the American dream is evolving and how brands can play a role in preserving America’s most enduring brand platform. View the full article

Find out if you're visible within Google's AI Overviews (Google AIO). Learn AI prompts you need to find out where you rank on 2025 SERPs. The post Google AIO: 4 Ways To Find Out If Your Brand Is Visible In Generative AI [With Prompts] appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

This post was sponsored by Bright Data. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Imagine this: A potential customer asks Google Gemini, ChatGPT, or Perplexity AI for the best SEO tools, top e-commerce platforms, or leading digital agencies. Your brand has dominated traditional search rankings for years. But your company isn’t mentioned when AI generates an answer. No ranking. No link. No visibility. This is the new reality of AI-driven search, and most SEOs aren’t tracking it. Your brand might be invisible in AI search. Find out if it is now → For years, you may have […] The post Google AIO: 4 Ways To Find Out If Your Brand Is Visible In Generative AI [With Prompts] appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Understanding the difference between an equity and mortgage REIT is vital, as these two types of REITs serve distinct purposes within the real estate market. View the full article

Acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Russell Vought said all diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility policies "will cease immediately," adding that employees may be investigated if they go against the order. View the full article

Google has begun showing the ‘Price at Checkout’ within Google Shopping listings, both for paid ads and organic results. Merchants who alter prices at checkout risk suspension from Google Shopping, but this new feature provides an added layer of clarity for users. The big picture: Google has strict policies against misleading pricing, and this enhancement aligns with its broader efforts to improve trust in Shopping listings. Transparency in pricing could also pressure retailers to maintain consistency between advertised and final prices. Why we care. Online shoppers often encounter price discrepancies between initial listings and final checkout prices, leading to frustration and abandoned carts. This new feature could help searchers make more informed decisions without unexpected price changes. First seen. This update was first seen by industry expert, Arpan Banerjee, when Adriaan Dekker called it out on LinkedIn: What’s next. It remains unclear whether this is a full rollout or a limited test. Merchants should monitor their listings to ensure accurate pricing is displayed to avoid potential policy violations. View the full article

Featuring Matthew Prince, Cofounder and CEO, Cloudflare. Moderated by Brendan Vaughan, Editor in Chief, Fast Company. With a quarter of the global internet powered by Cloudflare—its network provides service to over 300 cities across more than 100 countries—the company is at the helm of delivering content and connecting millions. But as AI-powered bots grow at a prolific rate and cybersecurity risks become increasingly sophisticated, ensuring the safety of the internet requires innovative thinking. Join Cloudflare cofounder and CEO Matthew Prince for a one-on-one conversation on how the company plans to tackle the challenges of the future. View the full article

It makes sense that most of us focus on money when it comes to our happiness. Not being able to afford stuff like rent is stressful, and going into debt to feed yourself just exacerbates that sense of powerlessness. Whatever your financial situation, unless you’re oligarch-levels of wealthy you probably focus everything on making, saving, and stretching a much money as possible. But if you’re not happy even if your bills are paid and your debt is manageable, it’s probably because you’re thinking about money the wrong way. Instead of thinking about being affluent in terms of money, you should be thinking in terms of being affluent in time. What is time affluence? Time affluence—the feeling that you have enough time to accomplish everything you want to get done—is a crucial aspect of our happiness and sense of personal satisfaction. Time poverty is the opposite—that stressful feeling you get when there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Between commuting to and from our jobs, the time spent working, then the chores at home, many of us barely have time to eat some dinner and maybe stream a show before collapsing into bed—and starting the process over again the next day. Then, our weekends are filled with household projects and maintenance and other responsibilities (or second jobs or overtime). We keep telling ourselves that we’ll get back to a hobby, or make time to see friends, or get some extra sleep next week, or next month, or at some unknowable time in the future. Time poverty has been shown to have an adverse effect on both mental and physical health. The mistake many of us make is thinking that the answer to time poverty is simply having more money—but the key is using money to gain more time. If all you’re doing is selling more of your time (to a second job, or a more demanding position) then you’re actually increasing your time poverty even if your bank account is growing. On the other hand, having more money means you can potentially buy more time for yourself. The trick is to stop thinking solely in terms of how you’re spending your money and more in terms of how you’re spending your time. How to become time affluentTime is one of the few resources in our lives we can’t create more of no matter how creative, ambitious, or hard-working we are. You get 24 hours in a day and that’s it—and once those hours are gone you can’t get them back. But what you can do to become more time affluent is manage your time more effectively, treating it like the limited resource it is. You can achieve more time affluence by doing four fundamental things: Organize and prioritize. Since your time is limited, stop treating it like an amorphous, infinite resource you always have more of. Make lists of things you need or want to do and prioritize them. Then use time blocking to break each of those priorities into a fixed amount of time needed to accomplish them or at least move them toward completion. This avoids letting tasks pile up, which increases stress and that sense of not being in control of your time, and provides a visual guide to how your day will play out. And having clear times for specific activities to end will increase your efficiency. Delegate. Always think about what you can delegate to someone else. For example, if you can afford to hire cleaners for your home you can reclaim the time you would otherwise spend cleaning the house. You’re essentially buying time from someone else. But reclaiming that time doesn’t have to mean paying someone. If there are tasks that someone else in your life could be taking on (chores at home or work tasks not officially in your job description, for example) that will also claw back some time for you. Automate. Are there aspects of your life you can automate? Bill paying is an easy example of this: Instead of spending an hour every week paying bills individually, setting up automatic payments gets you that hour back. Think about any opportunities you have to automate stuff—prescription refills, meal plans (if it’s in your budget), even grocery shopping can be automated these days through weekly subscription platforms. Monotask. Finally, be aware of what’s known as “time confetti”—the way we spend little bits of time on a seemingly infinite scroll of activities, most of them online. Jumping from thing to thing can feel like multitasking, but it isn’t an efficient way to get stuff done. Instead, monotask, which means focusing on a single task until it’s done. It’s an extremely simple concept, but it requires discipline, like sticking to the time-blocking schedule you created, eliminating distractions, and forcing yourself to focus. Having more money can make some of these steps easier or even possible, surely—but you can apply these four principles to your time management no matter what your financial circumstances are, and improve your time affluence to poverty ratio at least a little bit. View the full article

Featuring Andy Dunn, Founder and CEO, Pie; Mélanie Masarin, Founder and CEO, Ghia and Ev Williams, Cofounder, Mozi. Moderated by Max Ufberg, Senior Editor, Fast Company. Loneliness isn’t just a lingering by-product of COVID lockdowns. According to former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, it’s a public health crisis. Businesses have taken this diagnosis as a cue to step in, fill those cracks in our social fabric, and develop a cure. Join this panel to hear from leaders who are looking to address the loneliness epidemic by building technology that facilitates in-person connection, creating products that encourage us to rethink the ways we socialize, and more. View the full article

Wall Street bosses praise president for engaging with business leaders and moving to reduce regulation View the full article

Featuring Joon Choi, President, Weverse; Aron Levitz, President, Wattpad Webtoon Studios and Co-President, Wattpad and Gita Rebbapragada, Chief Operating Officer, Crunchyroll. Moderated by Tania Rahman, Social Media Director, Fast Company. Cultivating a loyal fan base is every brand’s dream. So why not take a page out of the book of companies that have made fandom the foundation of their business? Hear from execs at Weverse, Crunchyroll, and Wattpad to gain an understanding of how these companies cultivate and serve their diehard fandoms—and how you can apply that approach to your customers. View the full article

Featuring Alexis Garcia, Cofounder, Brass Knuckle Films and Robert Rodriguez, Cofounder, Brass Knuckle Films. Moderated by Kc Ifeanyi, Executive Director of Editorial Programming, Fast Company. Robert Rodriguez, film director and founder of production company Troublemaker Studios, has certainly made an impact in Hollywood with films including El Mariachi, From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids, Sin City, and many more. And now he’s looking to redirect that impact back to his home state. Rodriguez is part of a larger push to make Texas the film capital of the world—a bold proposition that’s not without its challenges. Find out how Rodriguez plans to make that goal a reality—and get the full scoop on his secret project, Brass Knuckle Films. View the full article

Adding both “Date published” and “Date updated” to articles can confuse Google, causing it to display outdated dates in search results. The impact? A 22% drop in CTR for one site, according to an SEO case study shared by SEO professional Abby Gleason on LinkedIn today. Why we care. Your position in the search results only matters if people click. Searchers may be less likely to click on your fresh content if Google displays an older publication date. What happened. Gleason shared this screenshot of an unspecified website and explained what happened: The site in question saw a sharp decline in CTR starting in late August, when “Date updated” was added alongside “Date published.” Despite content updates in 2024 and 2025, Google displayed publish dates as old as 2021 in search results. The fix. If you have both, remove one date that appears on the page. Use whichever date best represents its freshness – either the date the content was published or updated, not both. The datePublished and dateModified Schema doesn’t seem to matter as much as the on-page date, Gleason further explained in a follow-up comment: “…only having one date on-page is more impactful than the schema changes. Definitely limit on-page to just one date (the most recent update) but it shouldn’t hurt to maintain both datePublished and dateModified attributes in schema.” Google advice. This echoes a best practice Google shared in this help doc: “Minimize the presence of other dates on the page: If you’ve followed the best practices and find incorrect dates are being selected, consider removing some or all other dates that appear on the page.” Dig deeper. 4 SEO tips to boost click-through rate View the full article

Paris has spoken, and fashion’s final authority has laid down the law: This coming fall, it’s all about power shoulders, enveloping outerwear and a color palette that runs from somber to surreal. If Milan softened up with romance and New York leaned into Y2K grunge, Paris countered with sartorial surety — a wardrobe built for the sharp, the serious, and the spectacular. Coats are enormous, tailoring is back and drama is dialed up on every front. While trends may start in luxury, they quickly trickle down, as fast fashion companies like Zara, H&M, and Shein race to transform runway spectacle into mass-market hits. Here’s what ruled the runways: Coats so big, they might eat you If you thought last season’s outerwear was oversized, Paris just laughed in your face. This season, coats aren’t just big — they’re monstrous. At Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière sent out blanket coats with pannier-like hips, reminiscent of 19th-century railway travelers layering for the journey ahead. Meanwhile, Balenciaga’s Demna reined in the theatrics to focus on pure, sculptural volume: wool coats, puffer-gown hybrids, and structured trenches that redefined silhouette without gimmicks. Marine Serre, ever the sustainable innovator, crafted oversized outerwear from upcycled materials, proving excess and ethics can coexist. Shoulders wide enough to rival a Renaissance painting Power shoulders are back, and they mean business. At Givenchy, Sarah Burton’s debut delivered tailored coats with razor-sharp shoulders, softened only by impeccable drape. Victoria Beckham exaggerated the shoulder line on evening silhouettes, creating a statuesque effect. Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson played with distorted proportions, adding surrealist twists to a commanding frame. And at Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello took the idea to its purest form, distilling power into sculpted, precise shoulders that framed every silhouette like armor. The message? Whether you’re in a power suit or a party dress, take up space. Red, black and blue Color took a turn for the cinematic this season. Valentino’s Alessandro Michele bathed his collection in deep, bloody red, reinforcing its intensity with a show set in a Lynchian restroom. Meanwhile, Akris explored blue — midnight, cobalt, and cerulean dominated a collection that felt like a meditative study on fabric and light. Balenciaga presented black as a statement rather than a default, stripping away excess and letting the depth of the shade do the talking. The takeaway? Monochrome dressing is in, but it’s not minimal. Logos are out A quiet revolution in high fashion: the return of discreet, considered luxury. No screaming logos, no gimmicky hype — just clothes so well-made they speak for themselves. At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri reworked historical silhouettes into supremely wearable tailoring, proving craftsmanship is the ultimate flex. An uncharacteristically restrained collection at Rick Owens focused on impeccable construction: bomber jackets lined with leather, laser-cut leather shorts mimicking chainmail, and hoodies made of natural rubber that moved like liquid. This is luxury for those who know. Tech meets couture Tech-infused fashion isn’t new, but Coperni took it further with a runway staged as a ’90s LAN party, complete with gaming influencers live-streaming the show. The collection borrowed from cyberculture, with Tamagotchi-shaped bags, futuristic fabrics and anime-inspired styling. Louis Vuitton collaborated with Kraftwerk on a limited-edition capsule inspired by Trans-Europe Express, blending heritage travel motifs with futuristic detailing. Even Balenciaga got in on the game, crafting couture-worthy sportswear in collaboration with Puma. The message? The future is interactive. Femininity stripped naked This season, femininity wasn’t soft — it was bold, aggressive and unapologetically exposed. Designers stripped it back to its rawest form, literally in some cases. Rick Owens put models in structured outerwear, but left their chests bare, reinforcing a vision of sensual strength. At Givenchy, sheer knit catsuits left little to the imagination, countered by razor-sharp tailoring. Valentino’s fever dream pushed sensuality further, with plunging necklines, sheer lace and corseted waists that oozed eroticism. The theme mirrored the naked dress takeover at the Oscars days earlier, where sheer, body-revealing gowns dominated the red carpet. But where Hollywood leaned ethereal, Paris went tougher — sheer fabrics paired with armor-like corsetry, exposed skin framed by rigid tailoring. At Chloé, aristocratic silhouettes became sensual with transparency, suggesting that power and vulnerability can — and should — coexist. The message? Femininity, stripped of fragility, dressed for battle. Final verdict: Paris sets the agenda The last of the fashion capitals to show, Paris always has the final, snooty say on what’s hot and what’s not. And this season, the message was clear: go big, be bold, and invest in pieces that actually matter. Whether it’s the presence of a power coat, the strength of a structured shoulder, or the quiet confidence of truly luxurious fabric, the best collections weren’t about trends — they were about statements. And in a world that feels increasingly uncertain, that kind of sartorial confidence is exactly what we need. —Thomas Adamson, AP fashion writer View the full article

Featuring Jerry Grammont, CEO, Mabï Artisanal Tea; Jori Miller Sherer, President, Minnetonka and Mika Shino, Founder and CEO, Issei Mochi Gummies.Moderated by Kc Ifeanyi, Executive Director of Editorial Programming, Fast Company. These executives have built their companies around their respective cultures, from creating iced teas derived from ingredients native to the Caribbean, to designing moccasins in partnership with Indigenous artists, to putting a fresh spin on Japanese mochi. Hear how they’re uplifting their communities and bridging them to the broader public—which is not without its challenges. View the full article

Featuring Brad Charron, CEO, Aloha and Carla Vernón, CEO, The Honest Company. Moderated by Yasmin Gagne, Staff Editor, Fast Company. When a company’s momentum reverses direction (or is even on the brink of bankruptcy), how does a leader pivot toward recovery and a return to success? In this panel, you’ll hear from CEOs who seized the reins of their companies when they were struggling—and managed to get things back on track. View the full article

Priority Notifications is a new Apple Intelligence feature that's rolling out with the iOS 18.4 update, which is currently in beta. It's one of the last AI features that we will see with the iOS 18 update cycle, and it goes hand-in-hand with Apple's Notifications Summary feature, though they are distinct. Perhaps because of the backlash Apple got to Notification Summaries, this feature isn't even enabled by default. You have to enable it instead. How Priority Notifications WorkLike many new Apple Intelligence features, Priority Notifications uses on-device AI processing to figure out what your most important notification is at any given point. Then, it surfaces those notifications (sometimes bundling up two or three and providing a summary) right to the top. When the feature is enabled and an important notification comes in, you'll see it a new Priority Notifications box above the rest of your pings. Like with many Apple Intelligence features, this box has that same multicolor glow all around it, so you can know it was made by AI. What exactly is important and not, is deemed by Apple's processing algorithms. In my testing, I found that things like missed calls, one-time codes for deliveries or logins, messages from my bank about transactions and emails from my work account always came up top. These will depend on the person and the use case, but overall, this feature is designed to help people who don't manually manage their notifications well. So, if you're always swimming in dozens of notifications from food delivery apps, shopping apps, or news apps, having a dedicated section up top to tell you when you've missed an important message or a call might be genuinely useful. How to enable and customize Priority NotificationsApple isn't enabling this feature by default, even if you've already enabled Apple Intelligence. To find it, go to Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications and toggle it on. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Now, you can let Apple do its thing, and it'll try to figure out which of your notifications are truly important. But to improve things, you can go one step further. If you scroll down, you will see a list of all the apps that can feed into the Priority Notifications system. If you don't want to see any false positives, you can apps you don't want to see in the Priority Notifications box, like food delivery apps, news apps, and so on. Credit: Khamosh Pathak If you find that Priority Notifications isn't for you, you can come back to Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications to disable it altogether. If you're feeling the notifications overload, you can also take some time to customize the rest of the iPhone notifications system so that it works for you, instead of against you. View the full article

Featuring Logan Eggleston, Pro Athlete, LOVB Austin Volleyball; Rosie Spaulding, President, LOVB Pro and Stef Strack, Founder and CEO, Voice in Sport. Moderated by Tania Rahman, Social Media Director, Fast Company. Women’s sports have finally been receiving the recognition they deserve. The goal now is to make sure this moment isn’t just a trend, and to ensure women athletes achieve the equity that remains elusive. Join this panel of executives and athletes to understand the strategy behind making women’s sports not just a cultural force but a thriving ecosystem of sustainable businesses. View the full article

Agile is a useful project management methodology when used correctly. Unfortunately, if the whole team is not familiar with it, things can become inefficient. To avoid that, all agile team members must know what a product backlog and sprint backlog are, both of which are essential for planning and prioritizing tasks in agile project management. These concepts also apply to scrum, kanban and other similar agile frameworks. What Is a Product Backlog? The product backlog is a list that compiles all the tasks and user stories that must be done to complete the whole project. But it’s not just a simple task list. An effective product backlog breaks down each of the backlog items into a series of steps that help the development team. The product backlog is important for product management, and the implementation of agile and it’s also one of the seven scrum artifacts that shape the scrum methodology. But even if it’s been planned out, the product backlog is not set in stone. Like most aspects of agile project management, there are going to be changes. Flexibility is crucial. Agile teams can get help managing a product backlog with project management software. ProjectManager is online work and project management software designed for agile and traditional projects. Our robust task list project view can collect product backlog items, set priorities, add descriptions and assign team members. Since we have multiple project views, teams can then switch to the kanban board view and collaborate to plan their sprints. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Manufacturing-overlay-CTA-TAsk.jpgProjectManager’s task lists help teams manage their product backlog. Learn more! What Should Be Included in a Product Backlog? While the concept of a product backlog is simple enough, it can be unwieldy, as it’s composed of everything that must be completed to bring in a successful project. One must know the project inside and out, and then have the skill set to break each of those individual tasks into a series of steps that can then be assigned to the team, who must not only complete it but understand it. Here are the most important elements of a product backlog. User Stories & Epics User stories are short, simple descriptions of a feature or functionality from the end user’s perspective, typically following the format: “As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit].” Epics are larger user stories that require multiple sprints or tasks to complete and are later broken down into smaller, actionable user stories. Technical Improvements These are backend or infrastructure-related enhancements that improve system performance, scalability, security or maintainability. Examples include refactoring code, optimizing database queries or upgrading frameworks. Bug Fixes Bug fixes address defects in the software that impact functionality, performance or user experience. These issues are identified through testing, user feedback or monitoring tools and must be prioritized based on their severity and impact. Research & Spikes Spikes are time-boxed investigations or experiments to gain knowledge, reduce uncertainty or evaluate technical feasibility. They are often used when teams need to explore new technologies, architectural decisions or complex requirements before committing to implementation. Non-Functional Requirements These define system attributes such as performance, reliability, scalability and security. Unlike functional requirements, which describe what the system should do, non-functional requirements specify how well the system should perform under various conditions. Dependencies & Constraints Dependencies are tasks or requirements that rely on completing other work items before they can be implemented. Constraints refer to limitations such as budget, time, regulatory requirements or technical restrictions that influence how a product is developed. Story Points Story points are a unit of measure used in agile project management to estimate the effort required to complete a task or user story. They consider complexity, risk, and time, helping teams gauge workload and prioritize tasks without relying on exact time estimates. Acceptance Criteria Acceptance criteria are the specific conditions and requirements that a product or feature must meet for it to be considered complete and acceptable by the customer or stakeholder. They provide clear guidelines for successful implementation and testing. Backlog Items Priority Levels and Status Backlog items’ priority levels and status help teams organize and track work in an agile backlog. Priority levels (e.g., high, medium, low) define importance, while status (e.g., to-do, in progress, done) indicates progress toward completion. What Is a Sprint Backlog? The sprint backlog is a subset of the product backlog. The sprint backlog comes from the product backlog, but it contains only the product backlog items that can be completed during each agile sprint. Think of it as the marching orders for the team as they go off on their short sprint. The complexity of the project will determine the sprint backlog, but overall the idea is to dedicate the team only to those tasks that can be completed during the sprint. Of course, if it is a complex project the sprint backlog can also grow in complexity and length. Unlike the product backlog, though, the sprint backlog is unchanged during the period of the sprint. It can be changed, but only during the sprint planning meeting. Once agreed upon, the items and steps to complete them are frozen for the length of the sprint. Product Backlog Example The product backlog example below shows the epics, user stories, bug fixes, spikes and technical improvements a software development team plans to work on over two different sprints. It also shows a priority level, story points, assignee status and acceptance criteria for each backlog item. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Product-backlog-example-2.png Sprint Backlog Example A sprint backlog contains the tasks the development team commits to completing within a sprint. Below is an example of a two-week sprint focused on improving user authentication and enhancing the checkout process. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sprint-backlog-example-2.png Sprint Goal: Enhance user authentication and improve the checkout experience for a smoother purchasing process. Sprint Backlog Items: User Story: As a user, I want to reset my password via email so I can regain access to my account. (High Priority, Assigned to Development Team, In Progress, 5 Story Points) Implement the “Forgot Password” functionality (High Priority, Assigned to John, In Progress, 3 Story Points) Design the password reset email template (Medium Priority, Assigned to Sarah, To Do, 2 Story Points) Integrate email service for password reset (High Priority, Assigned to Mike, To Do, 3 Story Points) Bug Fix: Fix the checkout button not responding on mobile devices (Critical Priority, Assigned to Emma, Done, 2 Story Points) Technical Improvement: Optimize database queries for faster page load times (Medium Priority, Assigned to James, To Do, 5 Story Points) Spike: Research two-factor authentication (2FA) implementation options (Low Priority, Assigned to Linda, To Do, 3 Story Points) Non-Functional Requirement: Ensure password reset meets security best practices (High Priority, Assigned to Development Team, To Do, 2 Story Points) Throughout the sprint, tasks move through different statuses such as To Do, In Progress and Done, ensuring that progress is tracked effectively. We created the product backlog and sprint backlog examples above using our free product backlog template for Excel. However, while Excel templates can be useful for agile teams, they can’t compete with ProjectManager, a project management software for agile and product development teams. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Agile-sprint-kanban-board-redesign.jpg ProjectManager’s product backlog shows project tasks and user stories, as well as their deadline, who’s assigned to complete them, their priority level and percent complete. Managers can easily drag and drop these tasks to refine the product backlog. In addition, ProjectManager also allows team members to interact in real time. Who Owns the Product Backlog? The product backlog is created by the product owner, who is the project’s key stakeholder and therefore has a full vision of the project. The product backlog is a guide for the agile team and therefore must be written out clearly and simply to avoid any miscommunication or misunderstandings. To make the process as thorough as possible, it must be organized, and each item explained in full as part of the plan to move successfully through the project. The product owner knows what the customer wants and can work backward from there to make sure everything is done to meet that goal. That’s the product owner’s lodestar, and if the customer’s interests are always leading the backlog, the work will be effective. Who Owns the Sprint Backlog? The development team owns the sprint backlog in scrum. While the product owner is responsible for prioritizing and managing the overall product backlog, once a sprint begins, the development team selects the work they commit to completing and has full ownership of the sprint backlog. The scrum master ensures that the team follows scrum practices, but they do not control the sprint backlog. Only the development team can add, remove or modify tasks within the sprint backlog during the sprint, based on progress and new insights. Product Backlog Template We’ve created a free product backlog template for Excel, which allows agile project management teams to manage their backlog items and plan sprints. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Product-backlog-template-new.png How to Manage a Product Backlog and Sprint Backlog It’s clear that for the team to work effectively, they must understand the difference between a product backlog and a sprint backlog, and how these two scrum artifacts interact to move the project forward. 1. Identification of Product Backlog Items Identifying project backlog items involves gathering, defining and prioritizing requirements that contribute to the project’s goals. This includes user stories, features, bug fixes, technical improvements and research tasks. Inputs come from stakeholders, customers and the development team. The product owner ensures backlog items align with business objectives, while refinement sessions help clarify and estimate their effort. 2. Product Backlog Refinement or Product Backlog Grooming To respond to changes and adapt to an agile framework, agile teams constantly update their product backlogs. That’s known as backlog grooming or backlog refinement. It consists of adding, deleting and prioritizing tasks in the agile product backlog to maximize the efficiency of an agile workflow. This is done during an agile event called a product backlog grooming meeting. The product owner is responsible for overseeing this process, but everyone in the agile team helps. 3. Product Backlog Prioritization Product backlog prioritization ensures the most valuable and impactful items are addressed first. The product owner prioritizes backlog items based on factors like business value, customer needs, dependencies and technical feasibility. Techniques such as MoSCoW (must-have, should-have, could-have, won’t-have), WSJF (weighted shortest job first) and value vs. effort help determine priority. Regular backlog refinement keeps priorities aligned with project goals. 4. Effort & Complexity Assessment Effort and complexity assessment helps the development team estimate the time and resources required for backlog items. Techniques like story points, T-shirt sizing (S, M, L, XL) and planning poker are used to gauge complexity and workload. Factors such as technical difficulty, dependencies and risks influence estimates. Accurate assessments support sprint planning, ensuring realistic commitments and balanced workloads. 5. Sprint Planning During the sprint planning meeting, everyone on the development team should discuss what must be done and how it will be completed to determine what product backlog list and the items from that list are then moved to a sprint backlog list. At this point, each item on the sprint backlog is broken down into tasks or steps that will be taken to complete the item. All of this must be communicated and agreed upon. As noted above, once started there can be no changes to the tasks and steps needed to complete them. 6. Execution of Product Backlog Items This occurs during sprints, where the development team selects high-priority tasks from the backlog and works on them incrementally. Tasks are broken down into actionable steps, assigned to team members, and tracked using scrum boards or kanban. Daily stand-ups help monitor progress, address blockers and ensure alignment. Completed items undergo testing and review before deployment. 7. Sprint Review and Retrospective Sprint review involves the development team presenting completed work to stakeholders for feedback. This session ensures that the product aligns with business needs and allows for adjustments to the backlog based on insights gathered. Sprint retrospective focuses on internal team improvements. The team reflects on what went well, what could be improved, and action items for enhancing future sprints, fostering continuous improvement. Product Backlog vs. Sprint Backlog: Key Differences Understanding the difference between a product backlog and a sprint backlog is essential for effective agile project management. While both are key components of scrum, they serve different purposes. The product backlog is a dynamic, high-level list of all project requirements, while the sprint backlog is a focused subset of tasks selected for a specific sprint. The chart below highlights the key differences between the two. Feature Product Backlog Sprint Backlog Purpose Contains all potential work for the product Defines work committed for the current sprint Ownership Managed by the Product Owner Managed by the Development Team Scope Broad, covers the entire product Focused, limited to a single sprint Contents Features, user stories, technical tasks, bug fixes, research items Selected user stories, tasks, bug fixes, and sprint goals Timeframe Long-term, evolving over time Short-term, updated only during the sprint Prioritization Continuously refined and reprioritized Fixed during the sprint (unless critical changes occur) Level of Detail Can include high-level epics and partially defined tasks Fully refined and broken down into actionable tasks Flexibility Items can be added, removed, or reprioritized at any time Items are locked in once the sprint starts (except in special cases) What Does an Effective Sprint Backlog Look Like? By definition, the sprint backlog is easier to create. It’s smaller and more digestible, but that doesn’t mean it can be developed without thinking strategically about the capacity of the team and the resources at hand. If you give a team more than it can handle, the product gets bogged down. Teams might feel they can do more than they can, so it’s up to the development team and the scrum master, an expert in scrum methodology who guides through skill and experience, to know what the team can do by having a good estimation of their ability. Define Parameters for the Sprint Remember, a sprint is usually only over two weeks, though this time can differ depending on the size of the team and project resources, so the sprint length is another variable to determine. The sprint, while short, must not overtax the team or force them to rush and produce a sloppy deliverable. Therefore, as the sprint backlog and the steps necessary to complete are being figured out by the development team, brainstorm with them, and open a dialogue to determine what is feasible in terms of a strategy for the sprint. Before moving a task from the product backlog to the sprint backlog, the product owner and scrum master must be sure the team is clear on the steps needed to complete that task. Get them to sign off, so no confusion could cause trouble during the sprint. Don’t Forget to Prioritize It’s always a good idea to prioritize tasks on your product backlog from crucial to less important. This is a task for the product owner, being the one most intimate with the needs of the stakeholders. While the scrum master would seem a logical choice to help with prioritizing, it’s important to remember that the scrum master is only there to help with the process, not with the product. But that’s another term and process for another time. With knowledge of the product backlog and sprint backlog, you’re well on your way to using agile to help with your project management. It’s a great organizing principle, and one more arrow in your quiver. Agile Project Management Templates As stated above, agile is an important project management methodology used in many industries such as product and software development. There’s a lot to learn about agile and for that reason, we’ve created free guides and templates to help you manage your agile projects. Here are some of the most important templates to help with your product backlog. Requirements Gathering Template Our free requirements gathering template for Word can help you collect what information you need to solve the problem or achieve the objective of your project. This is where the product backlog starts to help stakeholders and users understand what is required. Once they all agree, teams can start to develop the tasks necessary to get there. Product Development Template You have the requirements, but you need to know the pathway to deliver the product to market. That’s where our free product development template comes in. It helps you organize all the parts so they work together to deliver the product on time and within its allotted budget. Get everyone involved in product development, from idea to product design. Agile Sprint Plan Template The whole point of having a product backlog is to prepare your team for upcoming sprints. Our free agile sprint plan template lets you involve the entire team in the collaborative process of planning for a sprint. See the phases of the sprint and fill in the details, which saves time and gets your team to work faster. Manage Your Backlog with ProjectManager ProjectManager is award-winning software that helps agile teams manage their product backlog and collaborate in planning sprints. Our multiple project views let agile teams work with the tools they prefer while giving other departments that might manage their work differently the features they require. All project views share real-time data so there’s a signal source of truth that keeps everyone working together. Manage Your Backlog on Kanban Boards One of the multiple project views in the kanban or scrum board, an essential agile project management tool. This visual workflow feature allows teams to manage their backlog on cards and then work together in planning sprints. Managers get transparency as cards move from one column to the next, representing the production cycle. If there’s a potential bottleneck, managers can reallocate resources quickly to clear it up and keep teams moving forward. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Kanban_Marketing_Wide_Zoom-150_Moving-task-to-different-status.jpg Track Progress With Real-Time Dashboards For a high-level view of the progress and performance of your team, we have real-time dashboards. There’s no setup required as with other inferior tools, and the software automatically captures and calculates six project metrics that are then displayed in colorful and easy-to-read graphs and charts. Managers get critical information that provides them with valuable insights in real time to make better decisions. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dashboard_Construction_Wide_Zoom-150.jpg Generate Reports With One Click When you need more detail than the dashboard can provide, there are several real-time reports that you can generate with a keystroke. Get reports on project status, variance, costs and more. All our reports can be filtered to show only the data you want to see. It’s easy to share them as PDFs or even printed out, depending on how your stakeholders prefer to be updated. More data means a better understanding of your project for you and your stakeholders. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Reports_Wide_Zoom-150_Project-Status-Report.jpg Our software is collaborative to the core, which is what agile teams need to work better together, whether that’s managing their backlog or planning sprints. Comments can be made at the task level, you can even tag someone not in the team if you require their opinion. Teams can also share files. All updates are delivered by email notifications or in-app alerts so everyone is always working together. When creating a product backlog and sprint backlog, it’s crucial to have the right tools to organize, prioritize and assign all those tasks. ProjectManager is online project management software with a real-time dashboard to track the progress of the project and offers a robust online platform with kanban boards for teams to collaborate during sprints. Try it today and see for yourself with this free 30-day trial. The post Product Backlog and Sprint Backlog Management: A Quick Guide appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Former Blair adviser Jonathan Powell is working behind the scenes to shepherd talks View the full article

Bidding and tendering are critical steps in winning a project. Learn how to structure a successful tender, along with proven tips to maximize success. The post Guide to Bidding & Tendering Process for Project Management appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

With the April 15 deadline right around the corner, you want to ensure you're taking advantage of all the deductions you can. Andy Phillips, Vice President of H&R Block’s Tax Institute, says his tax experts are getting plenty of questions from filers looking to maximize every deduction available to them. I wrote about some wacky and unexpected tax deductions last week, but what about the most common ones that filers just don't fully understand? From gig worker perks to retirement contributions, here are the tax deductions every filer needs to know. Retirement contributions and traditional IRA deductions Phillips says that if you contribute to a tax-advantaged traditional retirement account (IRA, 401(k), etc.), you may owe less tax than if you didn’t contribute. With a 401(k), you might not even realize you’re receiving an exclusion if you have your contribution automatically made in conjunction with your paycheck. The money comes out before the taxes do, resulting in a reduction of your taxable income. With a traditional IRA, you can still get a tax deduction without requiring access to an employer plan. However, your tax break may be limited if you also participate in an employer plan. For self-employed taxpayers, SEP IRA and SIMPLE (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) IRA contributions are “above the line” tax deductions. See the other self-employed deductions below. Self-employment expenses As side hustles become ever more popular, it’s no surprise that self-employment expenses are more common. For example, if you pay for your own qualified health insurance, that may count as an “above the line” deduction. Also, you can deduct half of your self-employment tax above-the-line. On top of that, Phillips reminds filers you can deduct business expenses like internet costs, office supplies, advertising, and business travel from your business income. And, for qualifying individuals, you can take the home office deduction. Student loan interestPhillips reminds filers with student loan debt that you can deduct some or all of the interest you paid that year for a qualified student loan. In fact, federal student loan borrowers could qualify to deduct up to $2,500 of student loan interest per tax return per tax year. You can claim the student loan interest tax deduction as an adjustment to income—you don’t need to itemize deductions to claim it. Charitable contributionsYou will need to itemize your deductions if you want to deduct your charitable donations. "Many people find it worth itemizing these deductions," says Phillips, "particularly if you give regularly to a church or other charity." It’s also possible to deduct the current fair market value of goods you donate to charity. Make sure you get a receipt for your donations, whether they are cash or goods. And don’t forget to keep track of your mileage if you drive on behalf of a charity; that’s tax-deductible, too. Your kids—even newborns?You can claim all qualifying children that were born or adopted within the tax year you are filing. Even if your child was born on Dec. 31, your child may be able to be claimed as a dependent on your taxes. However, Phillips clarifies that if your child is born after Dec. 31, even though your pregnancy lasted most of the tax year, you’ll have to wait until you file the next year’s return to claim them. To be your qualifying child, the child must: Be related to you as your child, foster child, sibling, half-sibling, step-sibling, or descendant of any of them; Be under age 19, a full-time student under age 24, or permanently and totally disabled; Not provide more than half of the child’s own total support; and Live with you for more than half of the year they were alive. Not be filing a joint return with a spouse unless it’s to claim a refund of income tax withheld or estimated payments If you are a dependent who’s earning income, good news—your parents can still claim you as a dependent so long as other dependent rules still apply. Your earned income doesn’t go on their return. Filing tax returns for children is easy in that respect. However, you may need to report it on your own tax return. What can't you deduct from your taxes?While you're searching for all the possible deductions out there, you're going to hit a few roadblocks. Commuting costsUnfortunately, commuting costs are not tax deductible. Commuting expenses incurred between your home and your main place of work, no matter how far, are not an allowable deduction. Costs of driving a car from home to work and back, again, are personal commuting expenses. This is also true for fares you pay to ride any sort of public transportation to and from work. Phillips points out, though, that if you are a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces and travel more than 100 miles away from home in connection with the performance of services as a member of the reserves, you can deduct your qualified travel expenses. Your cat's vet billsUnfortunately, deducting medical expenses for pets is not allowed as a medical expense on your tax return. Phillips says the only exception would be when an animal is a certified service animal, like a guide dog, to assist you. Service animals generally aren’t considered pets, though. If you have a physical disability or are hearing or visually impaired, you can deduct medical expenses for your pets if they are certified service animals. Expenses that may be covered include purchasing, training, and maintenance of the animal which includes food, grooming, and medical care. Remember to keep accurate records and consult with a tax professional if you have any questions or concerns. By taking advantage of these deductions, you can potentially lower your tax liability and keep more of your hard-earned money. View the full article

Technology workers in Kenya have held a vigil for a colleague who died in unclear circumstances after she was unable to travel to her home in Nigeria for two years. Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, a content moderator for TikTok employed by the subcontractor Teleperformance Kenya, died last week and her decomposing body was discovered in her house after three days. It was unclear what caused her death, but colleagues say she had complained of fatigue and was “desperate to go back home.” Teleperformance Kenya told the Associated Press on Wednesday that they didn’t deny Olubunmi her leave to go home. Her family in Nigeria says she only traveled once since coming to Kenya three years ago. Content moderators working for subcontracted firms based in Kenya have in the past described working conditions that they say include lower than average pay, lack of mental health support, long working hours and intimidation. More than 100 former Facebook content moderators have sued the social media company over what they say is poor pay, horrible working conditions and unfair termination of employment by Facebook’s subcontracted Kenya-based firm, Samasource. Dozens of content moderators and data labelers working for various global tech companies met during Tuesday’s vigil and said that poor working conditions may have contributed to their colleague’s death. “There are more than 100 Nigerians working under Teleperformance company who haven’t had work permits for the last two years and so they have not been able to travel home despite having an annual return ticket benefit,” said Kauna Malgwi, a friend of the deceased. Olubunmi’s family was informed of her death a day after her body was discovered by a neighbor. Teleperformance emailed Olubunmi’s brother notifying him of her death and gave him contacts of Kenyan investigating officers who he could call for information, autopsy and burial arrangements. “The family cannot afford to take her body home, so they are considering asking her church in Nairobi to bury her,” Malgwi said. —Evelyne Musambi, Associated Press View the full article