Ideas and backlog

Simple terms

The backlog is where rough test ideas live before they are ready to become experiments.

The planning layer for experiment concepts before they become tests. It stores hypotheses, evidence, source context, comments, priority, and handoff notes.

Routes

• /backlog
• /backlog/new
• /backlog/[id]

Implementation behavior

• Ideas can be created manually, imported from Research Hub context, or generated from Operator and store-profile evidence.
• Each idea keeps status, priority, source, target surface, expected impact, comments, archive state, and optional linked experiment.
• The detail page turns a qualified idea into an experiment without losing the original evidence trail.
• Codex handoff and Research Hub snapshots preserve external research context for future builders.

How to use it

• Create ideas when evidence is not ready to launch as an experiment.
• Attach page context and proof so Operator can reason about the target surface.
• Move high-confidence ideas into experiments from the detail route.
• Archive stale ideas instead of deleting useful historical context.

When not to use it

• Do not put live-test configuration only in an idea; create an experiment when it needs runtime behavior.
• Do not use ideas as a dumping ground without evidence, target page, or expected metric.
• Do not delete old idea context when archiving is enough to keep history clean.

Implementation source

• Pages live under src/app/(dashboard)/backlog.
• Handlers live under /api/backlog, including detail, comments, archive, restore, Codex handoff, landing-page brief, and create-experiment actions.
• Backlog items can link to experiments so the original hypothesis and evidence remain attached.

Data and API

• Backlog and comment models plus imported research metadata.
• APIs: /api/backlog, /api/backlog/[id], /api/backlog/[id]/comments, /api/backlog/[id]/archive, /api/backlog/[id]/restore, /api/backlog/[id]/codex-handoff, /api/backlog/[id]/landing-page-brief, and /api/backlog/[id]/create-experiment.
• Linked experiments store the relationship back to the originating idea.

Failure modes

• Weak ideas produce weak experiments: add evidence, page URL, target user, and expected metric before handoff.
• Imported items may need cleanup if external source fields are incomplete.
• Archived ideas disappear from default lists but can be restored.