Product Owner

Definition (what)

The Product Owner represents the customer/stakeholders for the product which we are developing.

Goal (what)

Ensure maximum value for the product

Main tasks (how)

1. Create a product vision
2. Identify and prioritize requirements after talking to executives, stakeholders, team, customers and users
3. Write User Stories based on these requirements
4. Describe the scope of a requirement
5. Defines User Stories for the next sprint in detail (inkl. Acceptance Criteria) – the stories must be easy to understand for everyone
6. (re-)rioritize the stories
7. At the end of each Sprint (in the sprint review) the Product Owner (PO) explains which stories are “done” and which not and why – He accepts or rejects work results
8. Optional: Cancel the current sprint if the goal of the sprint is obsolete now

Artifacts responsible for

• Product Backlog

Events / ceremonies / activities to attend

• Product Backlog Grooming
• Sprint Planning Meeting
• Daily Scrum Meeting
• Sprint Review Meeting

Details

The Product Owner is responsible for the economic success of the product. He strives to maximize the products benefits (USPs / Unique Selling Points). The PO creates, prioritizes and clarifies the requirements (features) for the product and at the end of each Sprint he judges which User Stories are complete.

He needs to find a balance between requirements, time of delivery and costs.

The Product Owner confers frequently with other stakeholders (e.g. customers, users, management) to understand their needs. It is a challenge to find a balance between all those needs, which may compete with each other.