Software Development on Marko Apfel

How to Use Requirement, Feature, PBI, and Task Hierarchies Effectively

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:39:07 +0100

When an initiative spans multiple releases, organizing its backlog can become surprisingly difficult.

Imagine a larger product capability that starts with an MVP and is extended release by release. Given an Azure DevOps hierarchy such as:

Using Container Requirements to Organize Requirements in Azure DevOps

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 01:51:07 +0100

Requirements rarely exist in isolation. As a project grows, related requirements naturally form larger groups around features, architectural areas, business objectives, or other common themes.

Ideally, the work item hierarchy in Azure DevOps reflects this structure. But not every Azure DevOps project provides suitable higher-level work item types such as Initiatives, and changing the process configuration is not always possible or desirable.

Slicing CRUD-Related Activities into Separate Backlog Items

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 08:05:07 +0200

A common question during backlog refinement is whether closely related CRUD operations should be implemented within a single Product Backlog Item (PBI) or split into multiple work items.

At first glance, grouping create, rename, and delete operations together seems reasonable. They all operate on the same entity and appear to belong to the same feature.

Programming Languages of the Future

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 08:54:07 +0200

Maybe something interesting to aware off - it’s called Atwood’s Law:

“Any application that can be written in JavaScript, will eventually be written in JavaScript.” Jeff Atwood, 2007

In case you ask “Who the fuck is Atwood”: a very well-known IT guru

What Is the Recommended Monitor Setup for Software Developers?

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 13:37:07 +0200

What is the recommended monitor setup for software developers?

The recommended monitor setup for software developers often depends on personal preferences, specific job tasks, and available workspace. However, there are a few key guidelines that many developers find useful: