You are managing an agile software development project. The product owner has created a product backlog with 50 user stories but hasn't prioritized them yet. The development team is ready to start their first sprint planning meeting tomorrow. The product owner asks you what preparation is needed before the sprint planning session. What is the most important thing the product owner should do?

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Accepted Answer

The correct answer is C. The product owner's primary responsibility is to prioritize the product backlog based on business value, customer needs, and strategic goals so the team knows which items to consider for the sprint. Without prioritization, the team cannot effectively select the highest-value work during sprint planning. This is a fundamental product owner accountability in agile. Option A is incorrect because the development team, not the product owner, estimates effort during backlog refinement or sprint planning. While estimation is important, prioritization must come first so the team knows which items are most important to estimate and plan. Option B creates unnecessary documentation overhead that contradicts agile principles, and Option D violates team self-organization.

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