The product owner is a role which is often misunderstood and frequently misapplied. In this article, I address five common product owner misconceptions. I explain why they are wrong and how the role can be effectively implemented.
The product owner is a role which is often misunderstood and frequently misapplied. In this podcast episode, I address five common product owner misconceptions. I explain why they are wrong and how the role can be effectively implemented.
When practiced correctly, product discovery maximises the chances of achieving product success. Unfortunately, I find that it’s not uncommon that companies lack an effective product discovery approach. This article offers help. It explains what product discovery is, why it matters, and how it helps you maximise the chances of creating a successful product. It discusses when, how and by whom product discovery should be carried out. Finally, it describes how product discovery helps you progress existing products.
While the product owner role is not new—it emerged in Scrum in the second half of the 1990ies—there is still confusion about what it means to be a product owner. It’s not uncommon for me to meet someone who refers to themself as a product owner, only to discover that they own a product part but not the entire product. Other times, I meet someone who says they are a product owner. But it turns out that the person manages several products, an entire product portfolio. This article helps you reflect on and improve the way the product owner role is applied at your workplace. It describes six common types of “product” owners. It shows how the roles differ and relate to each other, and it explains how you can effectively apply them.
Digital products can have a significant impact on the users–from saving lives to exposing people to harmful content, encouraging unhealthy habits, and contributing to climate change. It is therefore important that we take responsibility for the ramifications of our products and make ethically sound product decisions. This article offers five guidelines to put product ethics in practice and create products that truly benefit their users.
Managing a growing product can be as rewarding as challenging: Involving more people and teams and scaling up is hardly ever easy. This article shares 10 practical tips to help you effectively scale as the person in charge of a product.
Listening to users, customers, stakeholders, and development team members is crucial for us as product people. It allows us to build rapport, generate new insights, and make effective decisions. But listening deeply can be hard, especially when we are tired, distracted, or stressed. This article shares 12 techniques to help you improve your listening habits and become even better at understanding others.
Working in product management is rewarding but demanding. As product people, we have a large set of diverse responsibilities, which often translates into a high workload. But continuously working too hard carries the risk of becoming chronically tired and stressed and sacrificing our health. This article discusses techniques that help you achieve a healthy, sustainable pace and avoid the danger of being constantly overworked.
Developing a successful product is not down to luck or trying hard enough. Instead, product success starts with making the right strategic decisions. But as product people, we are often so preoccupied with the tactics—be it dealing with an urgent support request or writing new user stories—that we sometimes no longer see the wood for the trees. In the worst case, we neglect the strategic work and end up with an unsuccessful product. To avoid this pitfall, you should establish an effective product strategy process, as I discuss in this article.
Digital transformations often focus on new technologies, agile practices, and new business models. While these are undoubtedly important, a further success factor is sometimes overlooked: product management. In this article, I share my tips for establishing an effective product management function to achieve a successful digital transformation, offer the right customer experience, and help unlock the organisation’s innovation potential.