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XS✔ ◾ Product Owners - Simplified description of how to be good PO (#…
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* Updates Good Product Owner content.

* Separates Scrum Master paragraph into own section.

* Downgrades H1 headings to H2.
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ncn-ssw authored Oct 25, 2024
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Expand Up @@ -25,79 +25,51 @@ The client is generally the Product Owner (PO). They should read the Scrum Guide
`youtube: https://www.youtube.com/embed/3eljozEWpf8`
**Video: What is a 'Product Owner'? - Scrum Guide (2 min)**

# What are the key factors for a good Product Owner?
## What are the key factors for a good Product Owner?

## Strong Understanding of the Product Vision
1. **Product Vision - The PO understands the product's vision**
The Product Owner should have a deep understanding of the product's vision, goals, and business value, and be able to communicate this clearly to both the development team and stakeholders.

The PO should have a clear and deep understanding of the product's vision, goals, and business value. They should be able to articulate this vision to the development team and stakeholders.
2. **Decision-Making Authority - The PO has the authority to make key decisions**
The Product Owner must have the authority to make decisions regarding product features, priorities, and scope to keep the project moving forward.

## Decision-Making Authority
3. **Communication and Collaboration - The PO can communicate and collaborate effectively**
The Product Owner must be an effective communicator with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, translating business needs into technical requirements and explaining complexities back to the business. They should also collaborate closely with stakeholders, developers, and the Scrum Master to ensure everyone is aligned on goals and priorities. They should be adept at negotiating scope and timelines when necessary. They should also understand Product Backlog Items (PBIs) and be able to explain what they want using [Acceptance Criteria](/acceptance-criteria). This is the main way that developers and POs sync their understanding of what needs to be done.

The PO must have the authority to make decisions regarding product features, priorities, and scope. They should be empowered by the client organization to act decisively.
::: greybox
**Note:** It is helpful for developers to distinguish acceptance criteria between what is considered "essential" and what is merely "nice to have," as this can prevent them from investing excessive time in meeting non-essential criteria.
:::

## Excellent Communication Skills
4. **Prioritization and Backlog Management - The PO is skilled at prioritizing and managing the backlog**
A strong Product Owner excels at backlog management, making tough decisions on what features to prioritize to maximize ROI and deliver business value. They should ensure the backlog is always aligned with changing business needs and available resources.

The ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders is essential. They should translate business needs into technical requirements and convey technical complexities back
to the business in a clear manner.
5. **Availability and Commitment - The PO is available and committed to the team**
The Product Owner must be available to the team regularly to answer questions, provide feedback, and make decisions quickly. Their commitment to participating in [Sprint Reviews](/do-you-know-what-happens-at-a-sprint-review-meeting), [Retrospectives](/do-you-know-what-happens-at-a-sprint-retrospective-meeting) and [Sprint Planning](/what-happens-at-a-sprint-planning-meeting) meetings and staying connected to the team's progress (such as through [Daily Scrums](/methodology-daily-scrums)) is crucial to maintaining momentum. A good PO has a feeling of urgency!

## Prioritization Skills
## Who should be the Product Owner?

A good PO excels at backlog management, making tough decisions on what to prioritize based on the business's needs and available resources. Through this they can Prioritize the Product Backlog so that the important things will be done first, in order to maximize the ROI as the budget will run out one day.

## Availability and Commitment

The PO needs to be available to the team regularly to answer questions, provide feedback, and make decisions quickly. Their commitment to the project is crucial for maintaining momentum. A good PO has a feeling of urgency!
They should be available for [Sprint Reviews](/do-you-know-what-happens-at-a-sprint-review-meeting), [Retrospectives](/do-you-know-what-happens-at-a-sprint-retrospective-meeting) and [Sprint Planning](/what-happens-at-a-sprint-planning-meeting) meetings (approximately half a day for these 3 meetings, for each 2-week Sprint). Ideally, they should also listen in on [Daily Scrums](/methodology-daily-scrums). This is optional but means that the PO will have daily insight into the team’s progress.

## User-Centric Mindset

They should focus on delivering value to the end-users, balancing business needs with user satisfaction.

## Collaboration and Negotiation Skills

The PO must work closely with stakeholders, developers, and the Scrum Master to ensure everyone is aligned. They should be adept at negotiating scope and timelines when necessary.
They should also understand Product Backlog Items (PBIs) and be able to explain what they want using [Acceptance Criteria](/acceptance-criteria). This is the main way that developers and POs sync their understanding of what needs to be done.

::: greybox
**Note:** It is helpful for developers to distinguish acceptance criteria between what is considered "essential" and what is merely "nice to have," as this can prevent them from investing excessive time in meeting non-essential criteria.
:::

## Agile Experience

Prior experience in Agile methodologies, especially Scrum, is beneficial. They should understand Agile principles and practices to work effectively with the Scrum team.

## Set Team Goals

The Product Owner is responsible for setting a clear Product Goal, which defines the long-term purpose or "why" of the product.
For each Sprint, they agree on a [Sprint Goal](/sprint-forecast) with the team, focusing on the most important outcome for that iteration.
The Product Owner ensures that the team stays focused on the Sprint Goal and works only on the items in the Sprint Backlog. Any new requests should be deferred to future sprints to maintain team focus and avoid distractions.

# Who should be the Product Owner?

It is recommended that the Product Owner is from the client. Here are the essential abilities a Product Owner from the client should have.

## Deep Business Knowledge
It is recommended that the Product Owner is from the client - here is why:

1. **Deep Business Knowledge**
A client-side PO typically has a strong understanding of the business, its goals, and its customers. They are more likely to have insights into the strategic priorities and the nuances of the market the product serves.

## Stakeholder Relationships

2. **Stakeholder Relationships**
They already have established relationships with key stakeholders, which can facilitate smoother communication and decision-making.

## Long-term Vision

3. **Long-term Vision**
As an insider, they are more likely to be invested in the long-term success of the product, beyond just the current project scope.

## Quick Decision-Making

A client-side PO may have faster access to executives and other decision-makers, which can speed up the approval process for changes or feature prioritization.
4. **Quick Decision-Making**
A client-side PO will have faster access to executives and other decision-makers, which can speed up the approval process for changes or feature prioritization.

It’s possible to outsource the role of PO to someone in the development consulting company, but this is not recommended ("don’t put the fox in charge of the chickens").

Being a PO can seem duanting to some, especially if they don't have a lot of Scrum experience. It is recommended that all PO's read the Scrum Guide, watched the Product Owner video, and understand the role.
Being a PO can seem daunting to some, especially if they don't have a lot of Scrum experience. It is recommended that all PO's read the Scrum Guide, watched the Product Owner video, and understand the role.

> “Most dysfunction I see in Scrum teams is caused by a bad Product Owner”
>
> **Adam Cogan** - Professional Scrum Trainer, Scrum.org, during a TechEd session
It is also recommended that the Scrum Master is from the development consultant company and supports the Product Owner in the Agile practices. See [Does your Scrum Master support the Product Owner](/scrum-master-support-product-owner)
## What about the Scrum Master?

It is recommended that the Scrum Master is from the development consultant company and supports the Product Owner in the Agile practices. See [Does your Scrum Master support the Product Owner?](/scrum-master-support-product-owner)

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