What should be done with a valuable product idea that may not be worked on immediately?

When a valuable product idea arises that cannot be addressed immediately, the appropriate action is to document it as stories at the epic level for future work. This approach allows the team to acknowledge the idea's value and capture the necessary details without disrupting the current workflow or sprint commitments.

By organizing the idea as an epic, the team can break it down into smaller, manageable user stories later on. This strategy ensures that the idea is not lost or forgotten and can be prioritized for implementation when resources or time become available. Additionally, it maintains a clear understanding of the future product roadmap and allows for effective planning and prioritization during subsequent sprint planning sessions.

This method contrasts with labeling it as a low priority item, which may lead to overlooking it altogether. Adding it to the sprint backlog for immediate action may overload the team and hinder their focus on current commitments. Ignoring it until the current backlog is cleared risks losing the idea entirely and missing out on its potential value. Hence, documenting it at the epic level is the best practice to ensure that valuable ideas are preserved and revisited appropriately in the future.