Who is a Product Owner

In today’s competitive environment, it is impossible to achieve success without paying proper attention to project management techniques and team organization. More and more companies realize how important it is to be flexible, multitasking, and are leaning towards the Agile philosophy. A firm needs specialists who can synchronize in time the business processes that take place in different points of space. The most important function in such systems is performed by sales people. Let’s find out who they are and what they do below.

Who is a Product Owner

First of all, the product owner is a position in the Scrum team that combines the responsibilities of a project manager, product manager and marketer. Product owner has the most complete understanding of the service or product. He knows what the company’s objectives are, what the target audience expects, and also understands which professionals will be able to solve a particular task and at what stage.

The role of Product Owner in SCRUM

Scrum is an agile project management methodology that involves working in small, self-organizing, self-sufficient groups that include all necessary specialists. Scrum was initially applied mainly in the IT sphere, but now it has spread to other areas (research, education, marketing, business). This methodology is appropriate where it is supposed to create a new complex product.

A scrum team involves three important roles:

• Developers, technicians.
• Scrum-master. His area of responsibility is the organization of well-coordinated work according to the Scrum methodology.
• Product-owner.

If Scrum is a method of team organization and project management, Agile is a philosophy, a way of thinking, or an approach. According to the Agile philosophy, adjustments can be made at any stage of product creation if it is necessary to improve its quality. Scrum teams are also guided by the same rule: the results of each sprint show what can be improved.

A product-owner does not just communicate with the customer and convey his wishes to the developers. If he realizes that the new customer requests are preventing him from achieving the final goal, as the chief expert he has the right to tell the customer “no”, otherwise the next sprint will not be successful and Scrum will not bring the desired result.

What a product owner does. Areas of responsibility

Product Backlog

This is another term from the field of agile project management methodologies. It means a to-do list, a list of work processes (technical and analytical), organized in order of urgency, prioritized functionality.

The backlog is part of the product owner’s responsibilities. He outlines the sequence of tasks according to the customer’s requirements, regularly updates the backlog, and prioritizes tasks based on urgency and complexity.

Developer management

The product developer is actively involved in development. Since the goals and vision of the product may change, it is necessary to keep in constant contact with the developers. The Product owner should also participate in all calls and team meetings both during the sprint and at the end of the sprint.

Functions of the main contact person

The role of the product owner is unique in the sense that he is the main point of contact for all stakeholders. The progress of the project largely depends on how effectively he builds communication between the client, managers and developers.

Monitoring the realization of the client’s vision

Product must have a clear idea of what the customer wants in the end. His role is to communicate these ideas to the team and to make sure that employees understand the goals.

Knowledge and forecasting of customer needs

Product should be competent in both marketing and production aspects. His product and domain knowledge should be sufficient to set the terms of reference and allow for future adjustments.

When developing a product strategy, the ouner is guided by market analysis, customer expectations and other stakeholders. He collects feedback from users, makes decisions on future improvements based on the information gathered. Researches the competitive environment for the product to find out what factors influence the success of the product.

Assessing progress

The Product-Owner oversees every stage of development in the product. At all stages, he can suggest improvements and enhancements on behalf of the customer. Based on the product developer’s recommendations, technical specialists can make the necessary changes to the product.

Qualities of a salesperson

A product owner must be communicative, as this profession involves constant contact with people. Another indispensable trait is stress resistance. A product owner has to keep track of deadlines, take into account the interests of all parties, and be responsible for the result. Finding a balance between ambitious plans, limited resources, and quality requirements is not an easy task.

It’s hard to overemphasize flexibility and willingness to compromise, as each product cycle involves the possibility of significant changes that depart from the original plan.

The above-mentioned skills are soft skills, i.e. flexible skills. They are universal and will be useful in almost any profession. But a product owner should also pump hard skills. Here are some of them:

• analyzing the market and needs of the CA;
• team management;
• mastery of basic product development methodologies;
• working with hypotheses;
• task prioritization.

What is the difference between a product-owner and a product-manager

A product owner is a relatively new position that exists only in the Scrum methodology. A product owner in Scrum concentrates all efforts on one product, leads the development team, sets the development vector. His primary task is to maximize the value of the product in Scrum. The Scrum product owner is the embodiment of the product.

A product manager is a traditional position that can be found in any company, even those that do not follow Agile principles. Product manager can handle several projects in parallel, and most of his responsibilities are in the area of management. He prioritizes tasks, distributes them and controls processes. For a product manager, unlike a product owner, all projects are the same.

Summary

Product Owner plays a key role in the SCRUM methodology. It is he who formulates the product vision – the final image that the team should arrive at. The Product Owner sets the backlog (list of functions and requirements), makes sure that all tasks are clearly defined, understood and correctly evaluated by the developers. He is involved in the planning of the sprint and also makes sure that the product complies with legal, ethical and technical standards.