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State-owned company was set up with mission to invest in renewables and decarbonisation of the gridView the full article

President’s erratic policymaking has caused ‘a lot of uncertainty’ across corporate AmericaView the full article

High street bank plans to have nearly half of its IT engineers based outside its home market by 2026View the full article

US decisions can no longer be analysed using values shared across the democratic westView the full article

Is Ahmed al-Sharaa a conquering hero with intentions of moderating or a brutal strongman with a flair for PR? View the full article

FT analysis shows potential windfall for US president in three weeks following launch in JanuaryView the full article

Xero has announced the rollout of its new reconcile period feature, designed to enhance bank reconciliation by allowing users to verify the accuracy of financial data more efficiently. The feature is currently being introduced to customers in the United States and Canada. Reconcile period enables users to compare their bank statements with Xero accounting transactions more effectively. The feature allows users to: Define a period with a date range and balance to compare against statement lines. Quickly identify missing, duplicate, or incorrect transactions. Confirm accuracy by saving a period when it balances. Protect reconciled transactions from being altered. Generate a reconciliation report as a lasting record. According to Xero, this feature is an optional enhancement that does not change the existing real-time bank reconciliation workflow but offers an additional verification step for users who require it. Xero developed the reconcile period feature in response to user feedback emphasizing the importance of accurate financial verification, particularly for internal month-end close processes. Xero tested the reconcile period feature with accounting and bookkeeping professionals before launch, saying it received positive feedback from beta testers. Xero plans to expand the feature further by allowing users to attach PDF bank statements to their reconciliations. The reconcile period feature is rolling out gradually and will be accessible under a new tab on the main reconciliation account page once available. Image: Xero This article, "Xero Introduces Reconcile Period Feature for US and Canadian Customers" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Xero has announced the rollout of its new reconcile period feature, designed to enhance bank reconciliation by allowing users to verify the accuracy of financial data more efficiently. The feature is currently being introduced to customers in the United States and Canada. Reconcile period enables users to compare their bank statements with Xero accounting transactions more effectively. The feature allows users to: Define a period with a date range and balance to compare against statement lines. Quickly identify missing, duplicate, or incorrect transactions. Confirm accuracy by saving a period when it balances. Protect reconciled transactions from being altered. Generate a reconciliation report as a lasting record. According to Xero, this feature is an optional enhancement that does not change the existing real-time bank reconciliation workflow but offers an additional verification step for users who require it. Xero developed the reconcile period feature in response to user feedback emphasizing the importance of accurate financial verification, particularly for internal month-end close processes. Xero tested the reconcile period feature with accounting and bookkeeping professionals before launch, saying it received positive feedback from beta testers. Xero plans to expand the feature further by allowing users to attach PDF bank statements to their reconciliations. The reconcile period feature is rolling out gradually and will be accessible under a new tab on the main reconciliation account page once available. Image: Xero This article, "Xero Introduces Reconcile Period Feature for US and Canadian Customers" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Origination volume at the San Diego-based company rose 57% to $24 billion in 2024. View the full article

Hsieh stepped down from a day-to-day operational role following a contentious proxy battle for board leadership in 2023 but remained a director. View the full article

In a public appearance Thursday, Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said the Founding Fathers supported independent money management and undoing it now would be a mistake. View the full article

Tie-up will bring to an end the drugstore chain’s century-long run as a public companyView the full article

Explore proven strategies for creating high-performing landing pages that guide users towards action and conversion goals. The post 10 Top Converting Landing Pages That Boost Your ROI [With Examples] appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Google's first Pixel Drop of 2025 happened this week with a long list of upgrades for the company's flagship phones, tablets, and watches. Google followed the update closely with the March 2025 Android Security Bulletin, with fixes for 43 malicious bugs—including two zero-day vulnerabilities that may actively be under "limited, targeted exploitation" on devices running Android OS. The patches cover concerns ranging from flaws that allow attackers to gain remote code execution on vulnerable devices to issues with Qualcomm and MediaTek components. The two zero-day (highest severity) exploits are labeled CVE-2024-43093 and CVE-2024-50302, both of which are "privilege escalation" flaws. According to Bleeping Computer, the former lets attackers access sensitive data by bypassing a file path filter without any additional input from the user. The latter is an issue in the Linux kernel that allows the unlocking of confiscated devices (and has reportedly been used by Serbian law enforcement to target activists). Zero-days are security vulnerabilities that are publicly disclosed before the developer has an opportunity to issue a patch. Even if the current exploitation is limited to these Serbian authorities, it's important to protect your devices before additional bad actors take advantage of these flaws as well. How to ensure your Android device is updatedIn most cases, all you need to do to fix security flaws on Android is update your device when you receive a notification to do so. Google issues patches for its own Pixel phones and the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code, and also alerts other manufacturers—like Samsung, Motorola, and OnePlus—when updates are on their way. Devices running Android 10 and later may get both security updates and Google Play system updates. The current batch of patches applies to AOSP versions 12, 12L, 13, 14, and 15, and the most recent is dated 2025-03-05. If you're not sure whether your Android device has been updated or believe you may have missed the notification, head to your device settings to locate your Android version (About phone or About tablet > Android version) and check your update status (System > Software update or System update). Follow the on-screen prompts to download and install available patches. View the full article

US cabinet told to ‘keep all the people you want’ in first sign of pushback against Elon Musk’s cost-cutting projectView the full article

Efforts to hollow out the federal workforce by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have resulted in a dramatic rise in layoff announcements. The latest monthly data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas shows that employers in the United States announced more than 172,000 layoffs during February, which was an increase of 245% from January and the highest monthly total since mid-2020, during the pandemic. Further, it was the highest number of layoffs for the month of February since 2009, in the middle of the financial crisis and subsequent Great Recession, when more than 186,000 layoffs were announced. So far, through the first two months of the year, employers have cut a total of 222,000 jobs, an increase of 33% over last year. Which industries have been hardest hit? DOGE’s slashing of the federal government’s headcount meant a huge increase in government layoffs. In fact, through February, the report notes that 62,530 government jobs have been eliminated, which was an increase of 41,311% year-over-year. Meanwhile, the retail and technology sectors continue to see significant cuts. Further, almost 39,000 jobs were lost in the retail sector, 14,554 in technology, and 13,804 in the services and consumer products sector during February. “Private companies announced plans to shed thousands of jobs last month, particularly in Retail and Technology," said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president and workplace expert for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, in a statement included with the report. "With the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] actions, as well as canceled Government contracts, fear of trade wars, and bankruptcies, job cuts soared in February." Interestingly, the report also notes that hiring plans are on an uptick for many employers, too. “So far this year, companies plan to hire 40,669 workers, an increase of 159% from the 15,693 hiring plans announced during the same period last year,” the report reads. “This is the highest number for February since 2022, when companies announced 215,127 new hires.” View the full article

The company first entered the Canadian market in 2020 through an investment in an Ontario-based brokerage, which later rebranded to Rocket Mortgage Canada. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe In psychology, an internal locus of control is a key predictor of life satisfaction. People who see themselves – not external forces – as in charge of their life outcomes feel more grounded, fulfilled, and empowered. This principle applies to our professional lives, too. But as an employee, it might feel like you don’t have much power to control what you spend your days working on. In her new book Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge, Melody Wilding demonstrates that we often have more self-determination than we think we do. Managing Up gives readers a map for shaping their career by building a strong relationship with their boss or manager. Part of that strategy is taking ownership: seizing projects and opportunities that can move your career forward. We sat down with Melody to unpack what it means to take ownership, what it can do for your career, and how to do it in an impactful way. What does it mean to take ownership at work? Related Article How to advocate for yourself at work By Lauren Parker In Productivity In Managing Up, taking ownership is the act of declaring that you’ll step in to resolve an issue or seize an opportunity – then following through on your claim. “Ownership is the courage to raise your hand and say you’ll take something on to make work better for everyone – even if it’s not in your job description,” says Melody. Does this sound scary? Well, pivoting to a more proactive approach to work can be intimidating! But today, we’re explaining how to take ownership in exactly the right way. By taking ownership of initiatives that interest you, you can take a more active role in building the career you want. You don’t need to wait around for someone to hand you that perfect project – you can start proving your abilities in the areas you’d like to expand into. If you’ve ever heard the saying ‘dress for the job you want,’ taking ownership is like a more powerful version of that same strategy because you’re doing the work, not just dressing for it. Not to mention it’s better suited for 2025, when plenty of talented people log on to work in their pajamas. Finding an ownership-ready challenge Melody has a simple rubric for identifying opportunities that are ripe for the taking: look for a triple win. “What’s something that has a career benefit to you, will feel important to your boss, and will also have a positive impact on the organization as a whole?” she asks. “Ideally, you’ll take ownership of a challenge that’s at the intersection of these three things.” You should also account for the working environment you’re in. For example, if you’re a new hire or your company is financially risk-averse, you may want to start by taking ownership of a project that would have fewer negative outcomes if you don’t succeed. Not sure where to look? Consider starting with: Things colleagues consistently complain about or seem drained by Areas where people are using inefficient workarounds What leadership discussions are focusing on and where future budget is being allocated 5 challenges and opportunities to own Related Article 7 sneaky ways friction is making your work life harder By Genevieve Michaels In Productivity Bothersome bottlenecks: Inefficiencies that stress people out and slow down productivity It’s taking forever to onboard new hires, so you propose and lead the creation of a centralized knowledge base with self-serve onboarding workflows Neglected needs: Unmet needs, projects, and priorities that are consistently being overlooked Your industry landscape has changed, and your company has spent months discussing new features that could help you stay competitive. You plan a series of cross-team prioritization discussions to start bringing them out of the theoretical stage Feedback patterns: What do colleagues, customers, and stakeholders keep saying they need more or less of? Customers keep coming to the support team with the same kinds of issues over and over. You propose a new service management tool that will let you create automated responses to these persistent issues, and oversee its implementation Upcoming projects: What priorities are coming up in the pipeline, and how can you proactively address them? Your organization is launching a full, rebranded website. You propose a launch strategy with industry influencers to get the word out and give your community context for this new direction Innovation opportunities: How can your organization reimagine or evolve its work to create better results? You notice a skills gap in your organization, so you develop a training program or partner with a local university to train interns 4 steps to taking ownership Storming into the CEO’s office unannounced with a bold new cost-cutting or money-making plan is unlikely to go over well. As you prepare to take ownership, here are four steps to build momentum around your idea, get stakeholders on board, and set yourself up for success. Build buy-in with pre-suasion You don’t want your boss or manager to be hearing about your project for the first time when you’re trying to get it approved. “Change makes people nervous,” explains Melody. “You’re likely to get immediate pushback if you haven’t tested the waters for your idea.” That’s why she recommends using a technique called pre-suasion, a term coined by psychologist Robert Cialdini. “This isn’t about manipulation or planting an idea in someone’s head,” she says. “The goal is to lay the groundwork so when you make a request to move forward, it feels like a natural next step.” Here’s how pre-suasion could sound in practice: Ask for feedback on how your organization is currently addressing (or not addressing) the problem, before bringing up your new solution Build urgency by talking about results competitors have created in the area you’re focused on, or why now might be the right time to act Mention that you’ve been researching potential solutions or strategies, even before you have something concrete to share Present your idea with the SCQA framework (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer) It’s important to be concise and focus on value when you’re ready to present your idea. “Very often, people either lead with too much backstory, or they problem-dump and focus on the issue and not their solution,” says Melody. “Either way, you risk stressing out leadership and losing their attention.” Instead, use the SCQA framework as an easy tool to make sure you’re sharing your idea convincingly. Here’s what it looks like in action: Situation: Context to help your listener understand the problem or opportunity “It’s been years since we’ve had a healthy talent pipeline. Everyone feels like they don’t have the headcount to get things done, even though there’s budget to hire.” Complication: Challenges or obstacles that stand in the way of taking action “Every department is doing whatever they can to find people – everything from posting multiple job boards to tapping personal networks to managers acting as informal recruiters. There’s no cohesion between job postings, and candidates we do attract are often unqualified.” Question: Your hypothesis for a worthwhile solution “I think we need a more organized, centralized strategy that makes connecting with incredible talent an ongoing business process.” Answer: How you propose putting that hypothesis into action to solve the problem “I’ve compiled this list of specialized recruiting firms that focus on our industry. Many are connected to local universities and other firms in our field. I think we should build a stable, long-term partnership with one of them and take finding candidates off managers’ plates.” Bring others along Even though you’re taking ownership, other collaborators will need to be involved to some degree. Taking ownership effectively is about striking a balance between individual initiative and maintaining a team player spirit. “The goal is to include the right people, in the right ways, without creating extra work or adding to their cognitive load,” says Melody. That will look different at different stages of the ownership process. As you work on your idea, consider bringing others along by: Asking for input on initial strategy via surveys or brainstorming sessions Inviting other perspectives with informal coffee chats as you develop the idea Keeping stakeholders in the loop on outcomes via regular Slack updates or 1:1s Pre-plan for challenges Very few great ideas become reality without any unforeseen challenges. Hurdles and uncertainty shouldn’t be a dealbreaker – especially if you anticipate them. Melody recommends planning for both internal resistance and less-than-ideal project outcomes. Reframe resistance and respond strategically “Don’t take resistance personally. It’s usually related to peoples’ natural fear response, not the quality of your idea,” Melody says. “You can even reframe resistance as a form of engagement. People have opinions, and are actively pressure-testing your idea.” Here are some possible ways you might respond to resistance: Try opening the discussion with an even more ambitious idea, so you can find common ground together that’s closer to your original plan Highlight how resistors’ own skills and talents could actually contribute to the outcomes you want Don’t be afraid to keep bringing up your idea (tactfully), even if your manager didn’t seem open to discussing it at first Play out and plan for the worst-case scenario “What would happen in the absolute worst-case scenario, like your plans totally flop and you embarrass yourself?” asks Melody. “If you play this out, you can come up with a bounce-back plan. You’ll likely also get a reality check that a negative outcome isn’t as bad as you fear.” Here are a few worst-case scenarios, and how you could plan for them: Your manager is completely unreceptive and won’t even listen to your idea, let alone give you the green light This could indicate you may need to apply for other internal or external roles to get the growth you want, if that option is available to you. Your initiative doesn’t get the results or ROI you promise, and you’ve wasted company resources You suggest easing into the project, and scaling up depending on initial outcomes. For example, you could start with a smaller budget or use freelancers instead of making a new hire As soon as you launch a new feature, your competitor comes out with a similar but more comprehensive version Plan ahead for the new feature to be reassessed and improved after four months based on user and stakeholder feedback Managing Up is available now. Connect with Melody Wilding on LinkedIn, and learn more about her books, programs, coaching, and speaking on her website. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post How to take ownership of your work (and why you should) appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe In psychology, an internal locus of control is a key predictor of life satisfaction. People who see themselves – not external forces – as in charge of their life outcomes feel more grounded, fulfilled, and empowered. This principle applies to our professional lives, too. But as an employee, it might feel like you don’t have much power to control what you spend your days working on. In her new book Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge, Melody Wilding demonstrates that we often have more self-determination than we think we do. Managing Up gives readers a map for shaping their career by building a strong relationship with their boss or manager. Part of that strategy is taking ownership: seizing projects and opportunities that can move your career forward. We sat down with Melody to unpack what it means to take ownership, what it can do for your career, and how to do it in an impactful way. What does it mean to take ownership at work? Related Article How to advocate for yourself at work By Lauren Parker In Productivity In Managing Up, taking ownership is the act of declaring that you’ll step in to resolve an issue or seize an opportunity – then following through on your claim. “Ownership is the courage to raise your hand and say you’ll take something on to make work better for everyone – even if it’s not in your job description,” says Melody. Does this sound scary? Well, pivoting to a more proactive approach to work can be intimidating! But today, we’re explaining how to take ownership in exactly the right way. By taking ownership of initiatives that interest you, you can take a more active role in building the career you want. You don’t need to wait around for someone to hand you that perfect project – you can start proving your abilities in the areas you’d like to expand into. If you’ve ever heard the saying ‘dress for the job you want,’ taking ownership is like a more powerful version of that same strategy because you’re doing the work, not just dressing for it. Not to mention it’s better suited for 2025, when plenty of talented people log on to work in their pajamas. Finding an ownership-ready challenge Melody has a simple rubric for identifying opportunities that are ripe for the taking: look for a triple win. “What’s something that has a career benefit to you, will feel important to your boss, and will also have a positive impact on the organization as a whole?” she asks. “Ideally, you’ll take ownership of a challenge that’s at the intersection of these three things.” You should also account for the working environment you’re in. For example, if you’re a new hire or your company is financially risk-averse, you may want to start by taking ownership of a project that would have fewer negative outcomes if you don’t succeed. Not sure where to look? Consider starting with: Things colleagues consistently complain about or seem drained by Areas where people are using inefficient workarounds What leadership discussions are focusing on and where future budget is being allocated 5 challenges and opportunities to own Related Article 7 sneaky ways friction is making your work life harder By Genevieve Michaels In Productivity Bothersome bottlenecks: Inefficiencies that stress people out and slow down productivity It’s taking forever to onboard new hires, so you propose and lead the creation of a centralized knowledge base with self-serve onboarding workflows Neglected needs: Unmet needs, projects, and priorities that are consistently being overlooked Your industry landscape has changed, and your company has spent months discussing new features that could help you stay competitive. You plan a series of cross-team prioritization discussions to start bringing them out of the theoretical stage Feedback patterns: What do colleagues, customers, and stakeholders keep saying they need more or less of? Customers keep coming to the support team with the same kinds of issues over and over. You propose a new service management tool that will let you create automated responses to these persistent issues, and oversee its implementation Upcoming projects: What priorities are coming up in the pipeline, and how can you proactively address them? Your organization is launching a full, rebranded website. You propose a launch strategy with industry influencers to get the word out and give your community context for this new direction Innovation opportunities: How can your organization reimagine or evolve its work to create better results? You notice a skills gap in your organization, so you develop a training program or partner with a local university to train interns 4 steps to taking ownership Storming into the CEO’s office unannounced with a bold new cost-cutting or money-making plan is unlikely to go over well. As you prepare to take ownership, here are four steps to build momentum around your idea, get stakeholders on board, and set yourself up for success. Build buy-in with pre-suasion You don’t want your boss or manager to be hearing about your project for the first time when you’re trying to get it approved. “Change makes people nervous,” explains Melody. “You’re likely to get immediate pushback if you haven’t tested the waters for your idea.” That’s why she recommends using a technique called pre-suasion, a term coined by psychologist Robert Cialdini. “This isn’t about manipulation or planting an idea in someone’s head,” she says. “The goal is to lay the groundwork so when you make a request to move forward, it feels like a natural next step.” Here’s how pre-suasion could sound in practice: Ask for feedback on how your organization is currently addressing (or not addressing) the problem, before bringing up your new solution Build urgency by talking about results competitors have created in the area you’re focused on, or why now might be the right time to act Mention that you’ve been researching potential solutions or strategies, even before you have something concrete to share Present your idea with the SCQA framework (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer) It’s important to be concise and focus on value when you’re ready to present your idea. “Very often, people either lead with too much backstory, or they problem-dump and focus on the issue and not their solution,” says Melody. “Either way, you risk stressing out leadership and losing their attention.” Instead, use the SCQA framework as an easy tool to make sure you’re sharing your idea convincingly. Here’s what it looks like in action: Situation: Context to help your listener understand the problem or opportunity “It’s been years since we’ve had a healthy talent pipeline. Everyone feels like they don’t have the headcount to get things done, even though there’s budget to hire.” Complication: Challenges or obstacles that stand in the way of taking action “Every department is doing whatever they can to find people – everything from posting multiple job boards to tapping personal networks to managers acting as informal recruiters. There’s no cohesion between job postings, and candidates we do attract are often unqualified.” Question: Your hypothesis for a worthwhile solution “I think we need a more organized, centralized strategy that makes connecting with incredible talent an ongoing business process.” Answer: How you propose putting that hypothesis into action to solve the problem “I’ve compiled this list of specialized recruiting firms that focus on our industry. Many are connected to local universities and other firms in our field. I think we should build a stable, long-term partnership with one of them and take finding candidates off managers’ plates.” Bring others along Even though you’re taking ownership, other collaborators will need to be involved to some degree. Taking ownership effectively is about striking a balance between individual initiative and maintaining a team player spirit. “The goal is to include the right people, in the right ways, without creating extra work or adding to their cognitive load,” says Melody. That will look different at different stages of the ownership process. As you work on your idea, consider bringing others along by: Asking for input on initial strategy via surveys or brainstorming sessions Inviting other perspectives with informal coffee chats as you develop the idea Keeping stakeholders in the loop on outcomes via regular Slack updates or 1:1s Pre-plan for challenges Very few great ideas become reality without any unforeseen challenges. Hurdles and uncertainty shouldn’t be a dealbreaker – especially if you anticipate them. Melody recommends planning for both internal resistance and less-than-ideal project outcomes. Reframe resistance and respond strategically “Don’t take resistance personally. It’s usually related to peoples’ natural fear response, not the quality of your idea,” Melody says. “You can even reframe resistance as a form of engagement. People have opinions, and are actively pressure-testing your idea.” Here are some possible ways you might respond to resistance: Try opening the discussion with an even more ambitious idea, so you can find common ground together that’s closer to your original plan Highlight how resistors’ own skills and talents could actually contribute to the outcomes you want Don’t be afraid to keep bringing up your idea (tactfully), even if your manager didn’t seem open to discussing it at first Play out and plan for the worst-case scenario “What would happen in the absolute worst-case scenario, like your plans totally flop and you embarrass yourself?” asks Melody. “If you play this out, you can come up with a bounce-back plan. You’ll likely also get a reality check that a negative outcome isn’t as bad as you fear.” Here are a few worst-case scenarios, and how you could plan for them: Your manager is completely unreceptive and won’t even listen to your idea, let alone give you the green light This could indicate you may need to apply for other internal or external roles to get the growth you want, if that option is available to you. Your initiative doesn’t get the results or ROI you promise, and you’ve wasted company resources You suggest easing into the project, and scaling up depending on initial outcomes. For example, you could start with a smaller budget or use freelancers instead of making a new hire As soon as you launch a new feature, your competitor comes out with a similar but more comprehensive version Plan ahead for the new feature to be reassessed and improved after four months based on user and stakeholder feedback Managing Up is available now. Connect with Melody Wilding on LinkedIn, and learn more about her books, programs, coaching, and speaking on her website. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post How to take ownership of your work (and why you should) appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

When working in an agile or scrum environment, teams plan their work by creating a product backlog, a document that lists all the activities and deliverables that must be done to complete a project. Then, once a product backlog has been created, teams execute work in sprints, a short period of time from one to four weeks. Because of their short length, agile teams need to constantly prioritize the tasks defined in the product backlog through a process known as backlog refinement, or backlog grooming. What Is Backlog Refinement? Backlog refinement is the process of identifying and prioritizing the most critical product backlog items for an upcoming sprint, which is done by having a meeting among the development team, product owner, scrum master and other stakeholders where they review a set of backlog refinement criteria to identify and prioritize tasks, often referred to as user stories in agile frameworks. Product backlog refinement is obviously not a one-time endeavor, but an ongoing process between the product owner and the development team. It’s a place where they can collaborate to make sure the product backlog is clean and orderly. That can mean removing outdated user stories and tasks, adding new user stories that come from newly discovered insights or breaking larger user stories into smaller ones. You might reorder the user stories on your backlog, or better describe them to avoid issues later. Assignments and estimates might change and you can identify and remove roadblocks if possible. Project management software is able to capture this product backlog refinement meeting and represent the workflow visually in a kanban board. ProjectManager is a cloud-based work management software that has dynamic kanban boards that have custom workflows and task approval to set who has authority to approve and move tasks forward. And all this is done in real time that is collaborative to the core. Get started with ProjectManager today for free! /wp-content/uploads/2024/03/operations-implementation-kanban-150-cta.jpgKanban boards from ProjectManager for backlog refinement and sprint planning.—Learn More! You could look at backlog refinement as a means to a mutual understanding between the product owner and the scrum team. This understanding is focused on the product, of course, and what it will or won’t do. Then, you decide the amount of effort necessary to implement, as well as the order to do it. Backlog Refinement vs. Backlog Grooming The terms backlog refinement and backlog grooming refer to the exact same process. The difference between them is the term “backlog grooming” was originally used in the agile and scrum community, but it was replaced with “backlog refinement” due to concerns about unintended meanings and confusion brought by the former term. So even though “backlog grooming” might still be used informally, “backlog refinement” is now the official term encouraged by current agile and scrum best practices. How to Conduct a Backlog Refinement Meeting To better understand the concept of backlog refinement or backlog grooming, let’s define the main steps in a backlog refinement meeting. 1. Review Existing Backlog Items The first step in any backlog refinement meeting is to review the current product backlog items to determine whether they’re still relevant or not for the upcoming agile sprint. To do so, the agile team goes over the following backlog refinement criteria. Strategic Alignment: Each backlog item should support the product vision and business objectives. Aligning tasks with strategy ensures the team works on high-impact features. If an item no longer fits strategic goals, consider modifying, deprioritizing or removing it to maintain a focused and effective backlog. Required Effort: Estimating effort helps the team understand workload distribution and sprint feasibility. Using techniques like story points or T-shirt sizing, teams gauge how much work is needed. Accurate effort assessment prevents overcommitment, balances workloads and improves predictability in sprint planning. Business Value: Every backlog item should deliver meaningful value to users or the business. Prioritization should favor high-impact product features or project deliverables that enhance user experience, drive revenue or improve efficiency. Regularly reassessing business value ensures the backlog remains relevant and aligned with customer and stakeholder needs. Acceptance Criteria: Well-defined acceptance criteria clarify when a task is considered “done.” These criteria help developers, testers and stakeholders align on expectations, reducing ambiguity. Clear, testable acceptance conditions improve quality, streamline development and prevent unnecessary rework. Technical Feasibility: Assessing feasibility ensures backlog items are realistically achievable within technical constraints. This includes evaluating system limitations, required integrations and potential technical debt. Early feasibility checks help teams mitigate risks and identify necessary architectural decisions before development begins. Size and Scope: Backlog items should be small enough to complete within a sprint but still provide value. Large epics should be broken into smaller, manageable stories. Right-sizing backlog items enables efficient development, easier estimation and clearer progress tracking. Dependencies: Identifying dependencies between tasks, teams or external systems prevents bottlenecks. Dependencies should be addressed early to avoid delays and conflicts. Mapping out interdependencies ensures smoother workflows and better coordination between cross-functional teams. Risk Assessment: Understanding potential risks associated with backlog items helps teams prepare for obstacles. Risks may include technical challenges, regulatory concerns or changing business priorities. Addressing risks early allows teams to develop mitigation strategies, ensuring projects stay on track. Resource Constraints: Every backlog item requires resources such as time, budget and personnel. Evaluating constraints helps teams allocate resources efficiently and avoid overloading team members. Awareness of limitations allows for realistic planning and better decision-making during backlog refinement. 2. Clarify and Break Down Epics, User Stories or Backlog Items To ensure smooth execution, backlog items must be clear, concise and manageable. Large epics should be broken into smaller user stories that can be completed within a sprint. Refining details such as scope, dependencies and expected outcomes helps the team understand requirements, align on priorities, and estimate effort more accurately. 3. Add New Backlog Items (If Necessary) As business needs evolve, new backlog items may emerge. This step involves identifying and adding relevant user stories, technical improvements or bug fixes. Ensuring that new items align with strategic goals and are well-defined prevents last-minute surprises and keeps the product backlog dynamic and responsive to changing priorities. 4. Identify Risks Proactively identifying risks helps the team mitigate potential blockers before they become major issues. Risks can include technical challenges, resource limitations, dependencies or shifting business priorities. By assessing and addressing risks early, the team improves predictability, reduces uncertainties and ensures backlog items remain feasible within the sprint timeline. 5. Prioritize Backlog Items Not all backlog items hold equal value, so prioritization is key. This step ensures the most impactful, high-value items are addressed first. Using techniques like MoSCoW, weighted shortest job first (WSJF) or stakeholder input, teams determine what should be tackled in upcoming sprints to maximize efficiency and business impact. 6. Eliminate Unnecessary Backlog Items A cluttered backlog slows down decision-making. Regularly reviewing and removing outdated, low-value or duplicate items keeps the backlog lean and manageable. If an item no longer aligns with business objectives or has become irrelevant, it should be archived or deprioritized to maintain a clear and focused development roadmap. 7. Confirm Readiness for Sprint Planning The final step ensures backlog items are properly refined and ready for sprint planning. This includes verifying that acceptance criteria, dependencies and effort estimates are complete. By ensuring all items meet the “definition of ready,” teams can transition smoothly into sprint planning without additional clarification, improving sprint execution and velocity. 8. Incorporate Stakeholder Feedback Backlog refinement isn’t just an internal team process—it benefits from stakeholder input. Engaging product owners, business leaders, or end users ensures that backlog items align with real business needs and user expectations. Gathering feedback early helps refine priorities, clarify requirements and prevent costly rework, ultimately leading to a more valuable and customer-focused product. Who Participates in the Backlog Refinement Meeting? A backlog refinement meeting usually begins with the product owner showing the scrum or agile development team what product backlog items need refinement. This opens up a discussion between the product owner and the scrum team, which is moderated by the scrum master. Having said this, let’s explore the role and responsibilities of each of these participants in more detail. Product Owner The product owner leads the backlog refinement meeting by ensuring the backlog items are well-defined, prioritized and aligned with business goals. They clarify any uncertainties, make decisions on item priorities and ensure that the team understands the vision and objectives behind each item. The product owner also manages scope changes and adjusts priorities as needed. Scrum Master The scrum master facilitates the backlog refinement meeting, ensuring that it follows scrum practices and stays on track. They help the team maintain focus, resolve any process issues and encourage open communication. The scrum master removes any obstacles that might impede the team’s understanding of backlog items and ensures that the meeting environment supports collaboration. Development Team The development team actively participates in the backlog refinement meeting by providing technical insights and effort estimates for each backlog item. They help clarify requirements, identify dependencies and discuss potential challenges or risks. The team ensures that the backlog items are actionable, feasible and well-understood, enabling smooth planning for upcoming sprints. Sample Backlog Refinement Agenda Here’s a sample backlog refinement agenda that can help agile teams plan their agile sprints. Introduction and objective setting (five minutes): The meeting begins with a brief introduction and setting clear objectives for the session. Review current backlog (15 minutes): The team analyzes the existing backlog, removing outdated or irrelevant items. Prioritization (20 minutes): Re-prioritize backlog items based on project goals and current business objectives. New item introduction (15 minutes): Discuss and add new items to the backlog, ensuring they align with project needs. User story review and clarification (10 minutes): Examine user stories, clarify requirements, and ensure they are well-defined. Effort estimation (10 minutes): The development team provides estimates for the effort required to complete each item Risk assessment (five minutes): Identify and discuss any potential risks or concerns related to upcoming tasks. Backlog cleaning (five minutes): Remove unnecessary items and split larger tasks into smaller, manageable pieces Next steps and action items (five minutes): Summarize decisions made and outline action items for team members. Backlog Refinement vs. Sprint Planning Because backlog refinement is done before sprint planning meetings, they can often be confused with each other, but they’re two different processes. Backlog refinement involves reviewing and revising the product backlog to ensure items are well-defined, prioritized and ready for future sprints. This process involves the whole team in clarifying and estimating backlog items, but it’s not tied to a specific sprint. When planning a sprint, the scrum team is working on the priority items from the backlog and focusing on further detailed clarification, lightweight modeling, re-estimation, creating a sprint goal and sprint backlog. Benefits of Backlog Refinement Backlog refinement is a crucial ongoing activity that ensures the product backlog remains well-organized, prioritized and ready for sprint planning. Regular refinement improves team efficiency and enhances project collaboration. Here are some key benefits: Improved Clarity: Ensures backlog items are well-defined and understood by the team. Better Prioritization: Aligns backlog items with business goals, making sure the most valuable items are worked on first. Enhanced Estimation: Provides the team with an opportunity to estimate effort, ensuring more accurate sprint planning. Increased Efficiency: Helps identify dependencies, blockers and risks early, minimizing surprises during sprints. Stronger Collaboration: Encourages communication between the product owner, development team and scrum master, fostering team alignment. Backlog Refinement Techniques Backlog refinement is essential for maintaining an organized and prioritized product backlog. Best practices ensure the backlog is continuously prepared for successful sprint planning. These practices help teams clarify requirements, improve prioritization and ensure tasks are manageable, leading to smoother project execution and better alignment with business goals. WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First) WSJF is a prioritization technique used to calculate the value of backlog items by comparing their cost of delay with their job size. This helps prioritize tasks that deliver the highest value in the shortest time. It encourages focusing on high-value, low-effort tasks first, optimizing both time and resources for maximum impact. Kano Model The Kano Model is a prioritization tool that categorizes features based on stakeholder engagement. It helps teams identify which features will delight customers, meet basic needs or provide little to no impact. This model allows product owners to make informed decisions about which features will drive the most customer value, guiding prioritization in backlog refinement. MoSCoW Prioritization MoSCoW prioritization is a technique for categorizing backlog items into four groups: must-have, should-have, could-have and won’t-have. This method helps teams focus on delivering the most critical features first while ensuring less important tasks are addressed later. MoSCoW is particularly useful for balancing stakeholder demands and optimizing resource allocation in a project. DEEP Criteria By having a product backlog refinement process you create an outcome that is DEEP, which is an acronym that was made up by Roman Pichler, a product management expert who specializes in digital products and agile practices. DEEP stands for detailed, emergent, estimated and prioritized. You want more detail for the user stories in your backlog. The adding, changing or removing of items will lead to new insights. Each item on the backlog is estimated and prioritized. INVEST Criteria The INVEST criteria is a framework for writing clear and actionable user stories. It stands for independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small and testable. By ensuring user stories meet these criteria, teams can make sure the work is clear, achievable and aligned with project goals. This practice enhances backlog refinement by making backlog items well-defined and ready for development. How ProjectManager Helps With Product Backlog Refinement ProjectManager is cloud-based work management for hybrid teams that are collaborative to the core and provides a single source of truth that keeps everyone on the product team on the same page. Real-time data helps you make more insightful decisions when in a backlog refinement meeting, which leads to more successful sprints. Multiple Project Views Kanban boards are the preferred tool when managing a backlog, but that can be done on a task list, too. People work differently and our tool is designed to accommodate various work styles with multiple project views. Other departments might use the Gantt chart, sheet or calendar to track the project. No matter which view they’re using, the data they’re seeing is current and in real time to keep everyone on the same page. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/gantt-light-mode-screenshot-2025-compressed.png Get Real-Time Data with Dashboards Every project view feeds automatically into the live dashboard, which doesn’t require any time-consuming setup as you’ll find in other software. The real-time dashboard captures data and automatically calculates the information to display it in easy-to-read graphs and charts. The product owner can view six project metrics whenever they want to monitor the sprint and remove any roadblocks they find. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/portfolio-dashboard-screenshot-lightmode.png Generate Timely Reports One-click reporting goes deeper into the data and helps the product owner make insightful decisions. Reports on time, tasks and more can all be filtered to show only what you want to see. Then they can be saved as a PDF or printed out and shared with stakeholders to keep them updated on progress. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Reports-Light-2554x1372-1.png Email notifications are automatically triggered whenever team members make a comment or an item on the backlog is updated. But you also have in-app alerts so you don’t have to leave your tool to stay updated. This keeps you working on your sprint and adjusting it according to the most current data, which boosts productivity. ProjectManager is an award-winning hybrid work management software that connects scrum teams as well as everyone else in the organization. It’s one tool that works in an agile, traditional and hybrid environment to keep everyone working together regardless of where they are or how they work. Join the 35,000-plus users at NASA, Siemens and Nestles who are already delivering success with our tool. Get started today for free! The post Backlog Refinement: A Quick Guide With Examples appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

For the four weeks ended March 2, pending sales were down 6.4% annually as prices continued to rise, pushing borrower monthly payments near their all-time high. View the full article

Intuit Mailchimp has announced a series of product enhancements, including a completely redesigned popup forms experience, now in beta. The new popup forms aim to help marketers effectively target and engage site visitors using branded, interactive forms for improved lead generation and customer growth. The feature allows businesses to leverage customizable, mobile-first designs to collect data directly from prospects, supporting AI-powered personalized marketing strategies. According to Mailchimp, the refreshed popup forms provide a seamless way for businesses to drive conversions with eight different offer types, including discount promotions, free shipping, newsletter signups, contests, and more. “Marketers are increasingly prioritizing ownership of their customer relationships and data, with lead generation as a crucial step toward long-term success,” said Fay Kallel, VP of Product and Design at Intuit Mailchimp. “Popup forms solve a top pain point for marketers and SMBs, allowing them to collect data directly from customers, creating a frictionless way to capture leads, grow their customers, and build deeper, more meaningful relationships. Compelling data capture provides the foundation for how marketers can leverage AI for more effective personalization, and we’re making it easier than ever for them to integrate this effective tool into their strategies.” A Revamped Approach to Lead Generation Mailchimp’s new popup forms feature unlimited design customization, providing access to over 80 fully-designed templates that businesses can modify to match their brand identity. The forms also include dynamic visitor targeting with custom filters and triggers, seamless zero-party data capture for customer profiling, and opt-in lead generation capabilities that can help businesses reduce acquisition costs and accelerate list growth. New Campaign and Upcoming Enhancements To promote the refreshed popup forms, Mailchimp has launched the “Popup Like It’s Hot” campaign. The campaign, developed by Mailchimp’s in-house creative agency, Wink Creative, includes a remixed version of an early 2000s hip-hop track to highlight the ease and effectiveness of popup forms. “Bringing this campaign to life over the iconic early 2000s hip-hop beat was an exciting challenge that pushed our creative boundaries,” said Jeremy Jones, Executive Creative at Wink Creative. “Our team, in collaboration with Breakfast for Dinner, leveraged a blend of still imagery and emerging AI technologies to produce something truly unique. This approach not only increased flexibility and efficiency in our creative process but also reimagined how we bring Mailchimp’s popup forms to market—delivering an innovative campaign that excites marketers about this powerful reinvention.” Mailchimp has also announced upcoming improvements to its integration with Meta’s lead ads portfolio. The update will allow for automatic syncing of new leads from Meta Business Suite—including Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram—directly into Mailchimp. Additionally, new features will include a simplified Customer Journey Builder, improved audience management with .xlsx Microsoft Excel file imports, and access to promo codes in the SMS editor for customers with SMS marketing plans. Image: Intuit Mailchimp This article, "Mailchimp Introduces Enhanced Popup Forms and New Marketing Features" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Intuit Mailchimp has announced a series of product enhancements, including a completely redesigned popup forms experience, now in beta. The new popup forms aim to help marketers effectively target and engage site visitors using branded, interactive forms for improved lead generation and customer growth. The feature allows businesses to leverage customizable, mobile-first designs to collect data directly from prospects, supporting AI-powered personalized marketing strategies. According to Mailchimp, the refreshed popup forms provide a seamless way for businesses to drive conversions with eight different offer types, including discount promotions, free shipping, newsletter signups, contests, and more. “Marketers are increasingly prioritizing ownership of their customer relationships and data, with lead generation as a crucial step toward long-term success,” said Fay Kallel, VP of Product and Design at Intuit Mailchimp. “Popup forms solve a top pain point for marketers and SMBs, allowing them to collect data directly from customers, creating a frictionless way to capture leads, grow their customers, and build deeper, more meaningful relationships. Compelling data capture provides the foundation for how marketers can leverage AI for more effective personalization, and we’re making it easier than ever for them to integrate this effective tool into their strategies.” A Revamped Approach to Lead Generation Mailchimp’s new popup forms feature unlimited design customization, providing access to over 80 fully-designed templates that businesses can modify to match their brand identity. The forms also include dynamic visitor targeting with custom filters and triggers, seamless zero-party data capture for customer profiling, and opt-in lead generation capabilities that can help businesses reduce acquisition costs and accelerate list growth. New Campaign and Upcoming Enhancements To promote the refreshed popup forms, Mailchimp has launched the “Popup Like It’s Hot” campaign. The campaign, developed by Mailchimp’s in-house creative agency, Wink Creative, includes a remixed version of an early 2000s hip-hop track to highlight the ease and effectiveness of popup forms. “Bringing this campaign to life over the iconic early 2000s hip-hop beat was an exciting challenge that pushed our creative boundaries,” said Jeremy Jones, Executive Creative at Wink Creative. “Our team, in collaboration with Breakfast for Dinner, leveraged a blend of still imagery and emerging AI technologies to produce something truly unique. This approach not only increased flexibility and efficiency in our creative process but also reimagined how we bring Mailchimp’s popup forms to market—delivering an innovative campaign that excites marketers about this powerful reinvention.” Mailchimp has also announced upcoming improvements to its integration with Meta’s lead ads portfolio. The update will allow for automatic syncing of new leads from Meta Business Suite—including Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram—directly into Mailchimp. Additionally, new features will include a simplified Customer Journey Builder, improved audience management with .xlsx Microsoft Excel file imports, and access to promo codes in the SMS editor for customers with SMS marketing plans. Image: Intuit Mailchimp This article, "Mailchimp Introduces Enhanced Popup Forms and New Marketing Features" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

There are nearly two million apps on the iOS App Store, and a lot of them aren't worth your time. That's why many of us, when considering a new app, turn to reviews: You want to see what other users' experiences were like with the app—whether they loved it, liked it, or loathed it. Personally, the current review system works fine for me. I scan some reviews, and generally get a sense of whether the app is right for me. If I'm feeling particularly analytical, I'll even adjust the filters, perhaps to see which reviews are most critical (so it's not just a bunch of fluff) or ones that are most recent, to see what customers thought of the latest version of the app. But it's 2025, which means one thing: AI. We can't continue to live in the past. We must embrace the future of artificial intelligence, so say the tech companies. Why do 30 seconds of scanning, when the AI can cut that work down to 20 seconds? Perhaps even 15? Apple's AI App Store review summariesWith iOS 18.4, currently in beta, Apple is testing AI-generated summaries for reviews in the App Store. According to Apple, these summaries pull from "highlights and key information" from reviews for apps and games and are updated at least once a week, if the app or game has enough reviews to support it. These summaries will appear directly beneath the rating for the app or game, under the heading "Reviews Summary." Apple says review summaries are currently only available in English for a "limited number of apps and games" in the United States. The company plans to expand the feature to more countries and languages over the year. Here's the thing about features like this: they're largely ignorable. If you love them, great! You can take a peek at the AI-generated summary and decide for yourself whether you'd like to read the reviews further. If you don't like them, also great! Scroll right past to the reviews. That latter approach is likely the one I'd take. For one, I don't trust AI to get the gist right, even if the situation is relatively low-stakes. But, like I alluded to earlier, I also don't think it saves that much time to read an AI summary versus scanning the reviews yourself. You might even miss some interesting insights the AI thought wasn't important enough to make the review, or see some nuance that went over the AI's, uh, "head." Apple is far from the only company to summarize reviews with AI. Google, Amazon, even NewEgg have all dabbled in this practice, so it's not like Apple is breaking the mold here. But it does slightly rub me the wrong way—if we start relying on AI to summarize content like this, who is the original content being written for? Hundreds if not thousands of people are writing reviews of their experience, but if you only read the summary, those people are really writing their reviews for the AI—not other human beings. iOS 18.4 is due out sometime in April. You can experience these summaries now if you install the beta, but if you'd prefer not to risk running temperamental software on your iPhone, you can simply wait until next month. View the full article

As an app designed to facilitate gay hookups, popular site Sniffies has had a limitation since it started in 2018—it was only accessible via web browser. Until Monday, when the map-based cruising site debuted its Apple-approved iOS app. Building an app that complies with Apple’s notoriously stringent content moderation—and total ban on apps that directly serve adult content—was a challenge for Sniffies, which wears its sexuality proudly. Its users, which it calls “cruisers,” do, too. Many users put nude images as their cover photos, meaning adult content is visible from the second the platform is opened in a browser. The company needed to tame the experience for Apple to get on board, without losing what most users come to Sniffies for: sex. “We needed to be very strategic about this, to get around Apple’s strict not safe for work content policies, but also keep the magic of Sniffies,” says Eli Martin, Sniffies’ chief marketing officer. “The key was giving cruisers control of the experience.” How Sniffies met Apple’s content safety standards Sniffies leadership weren’t begging to get on the App Store. Its web app format worked well, particularly for the men who aren’t out or are exploring their sexuality, who Martin says make up a core—and growing—part of its user base. But fans wanted a native app, and it was difficult to compete with the market’s heavyweights like Grindr without the App Store’s discovery tools. When they finally decided to make the move, the Sniffies team looked to bigger apps like Reddit and X, both of which host explicit content, as models. Similar to those sites’ apps, when you download the new Sniffies app, it is in “Vanilla mode” (internally, the company calls this “deep safe”). Anything explicit is blurred; to unblur the photos, users must follow a link to the browser version, where they can change their settings. Then, the app will respond to the changed settings and allow users to see graphic content. [Photo: Sniffies] “There was certainly back-and-forth with the App Store and figuring out how to make it work on both ends,” Martin says, estimating the process lasted about a year and a half. “It took way longer than we thought, but it seems like Apple was very open to us being a part of the store as long as we could meet the guidelines.” They had to make some concessions. Sniffies’ anonymous log-in function, which allowed users to enter with only a birthdate, won’t be accessible through the iOS app.(This anonymous log-in feature has left the door open to the abuse of minors, per The Information.) There’s a “friction” to the process of creating an account that will be necessary in the App Store, Martin says; users can’t just download and see the map. But there are also benefits: Some users report the map being faster, and the app’s notification system is now more robust than it was just with the web version. Preserving the cruising spirit While the company doesn’t yet know which audiences will gravitate towards which mediums, Martin has his suspicions. Those “DL and curious” guys, as he describes them, will likely stay on the webapp, not wanting to download something to their phone. (This is a problem with Grindr, he points out: Users download and delete the app, over and over.) But the iOS launch opens them up to a new audience: the users that were never going to navigate to the Sniffies link. This audience was loud. Martin recounts years of comments across the Sniffies social media, begging them to get in the App Store. His team is now going through each and every one of these comments, telling them to download. App users are also privvy to the larger brand world that Sniffies has built around its main offering. The company has invested deeply in its (often explicit) marketing, which spans an apparel shop, its Hush lifestyle blog, and its Cruising Confessions podcast. The company has also sponsors in-person events and parties, echoing the pushes from other dating apps. Even in the app store, Sniffies proclaims that it is “for cruisers, by cruisers.” Martin points out that the company’s marketing strategy is based on “foreplay,” teasing the app’s sexuality without being completely blatant with it. They can do that in the app store, too. But does Martin see access to a mainstream audience as a threat to the more clandestine nature of the web app that made Sniffies unique? “I personally am not too worried about that,” Martin says. “We’ve only seen better results for cruisers the larger we’ve gotten. The important thing is the culture. We’ve already set the groundwork.” View the full article