Zombie Epics

Epics are large bodies of work too big for a single Sprint.  However, some Epics become “Zombie Epics”—unfinished tasks that linger in the backlog, often due to scope creep, hoarding, or lack of clear closure.  Epics should be broken into smaller, manageable stories, and teams should avoid having Epics in Sprint Backlogs.  The key is to close old Epics and open new ones, preventing misalignment of priorities and maintaining transparency.  While it’s important to adapt to changes, scope creep can derail progress, so it’s crucial to keep Epics small and discrete.  Listen to learn more about Epics, distinctions with other Agile elements and ways to have more positive impacts on teams and with stakeholders.